Save the date: Kinesiology and Health Science 50th Anniversary dinner planned for May 4

York University’s School of Kinesiology and Health Science is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. The school was founded 1966-67 by Professor Bryce M. Taylor (deceased) as the Department of Physical Education and Athletics. In 1992, the name was changed to the School of Physical Education and in 1997 it became the School of Kinesiology and Health Science.

Over the past 50 years, the School of Kinesiology and Health Science has continued to grow in both its size and reputation for excellence. In 2016, the program was ranked 21st worldwide by the Shanghai Ranking’s Global Ranking of Sport Science Schools and Departments. Researchers in the School of Kinesiology and Health Science are at the leading edge in concussion research, muscle health and regeneration, vision research, physiology, diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular health, neuroscience, epidemiology, and more.

A comprehensive website covering the history of the School of Kinesiology and Health Science has been created and can be found at http://khs50th.info.yorku.ca/.

The 50th-anniversary organizing committee. Back row: From left, Sharon Pereira, Norman Gledhill, Carol Wilson, Jennifer Myers, Merv Mosher and Sheila Forshaw. Front row: From left, Laura Austen, Co-Chair Steve Dranitsaris, Co-Chair Professor Angelo Belcastro, and Patricia Murray. Absent from the photo is Eva Langley.

To celebrate, the School of Kinesiology and Health Science created a volunteer committee to oversee the 50th-anniversary celebrations. The committee, which is comprised of current faculty, past faculty, alumni and staff, is inviting all Kinesiology and Health Science alumni, current and past faculty, coaches and staff to a special celebration of the school’s 50 years of excellence. The event will take place on Thursday, May 4 at 6:30pm at the Paradise Banquet & Convention Centre, 7601 Jane Street, Concord, located just five minutes from the Keele campus on the east side of Jane Street, north of Highway 407 and south of Highway 7.

The event features a celebration and offers a wonderful opportunity for a reunion with classmates, friends, former teammates, professors and coaches. There will be brief speeches, a slideshow and plenty of nostalgia.

It’s been 50 years! Don’t miss out on being a part of the School of Kinesiology and Health Science 50th-anniversary celebration.

Tickets are on sale now and available on a first-come-first-served basis. To purchase tickets go to http://bit.ly/2oCO1gu. You will need to create an account to purchase tickets online (scroll down to the ticketing information located at the bottom of the page). If you encounter difficulty with the online order system, contact Laura Austen at 416-736-5403.