‘No holds barred’: Spoletini’s all set to be roasted at Colts annual fundraiser

CALGARY (April 26, 2011) — You’ve gotta admit he’s a pretty big target.

During his Canadian Football League playing days, Tony Spoletini cut a rather imposing figure out on the gridiron. And these days, the affable 265-pounder still pumps iron in the mornings . . . and presides over Calgary’s best-known delicatessen the rest of the day.

In other words, the co-owner of Spolumbo’s Fine Foods and Deli will be hard to miss when the verbal salvos start flying during the Calgary Colts’ Tony Spoletini Roast on Friday, May 13.

Spoletini’s attitude? Bring it on.

“I hope these guys unleash. People are there to have laughs, so I’ve told the guys: ‘No holds barred,’ ” says Spoletini, 45, one of the most likeable and recognizable figures in Calgary’s sports community. “Within reason, of course, because it’s mixed company, but I want them to take the gloves off and have some fun.

“Why? I’ve got the mic last, and I’m not holding back anything.”

The Spoletini roast on May 13 is the centerpiece of the Colts’ annual gala dinner and fundraiser, to be held at McMahon Stadium’s Red and White Club. Sharpening their wits for the big night are guest roasters Peter Connellan, Spoletini’s coach during his University of Calgary Dinos days; Frank Mafrica, who co-emcees the annual Calgary Italian Sportsmen’s Dinner with Spoletini; Marshall Toner, a former teammate of Spoletini’s with the Calgary Stampeders; and longtime local sports radio figure Bill Powers.

Fellow sports broadcaster Peter Watts will emcee the evening, which begins at 5 p.m. with cocktails and hors d’oeuvres, and follows at 7 p.m. with a prime rib buffet dinner.

Spoletini won a pair of city high school championships with the St. Francis Browns in 1981 and ’82, helped the Dinos capture Vanier Cups in ’83 and ’85, and spent three years in the CFL — his first two with the Edmonton Eskimos, and his final three with the Stamps.

This year’s Colts gala dinner and fundraiser has adopted a “roast” theme for the second straight year, after John Forzani willingly and goodnaturedly went before the verbal firing squad in 2010. Fred Wilson, the Colts’ past president and current fundraising chairman, hopes the junior gridiron squad can match the runaway success of last year’s roast, when the event was sold out and raised more than $40,000 toward the construction of a Colts fieldhouse at Shouldice Park.

The success of the May 13 dinner will also hinge on the generous donation of items for the club’s silent auction.

“Last year, we brought the entire football community of Calgary together at one event. We had representation from atoms, pee wees, bantams, midgets, the U of C, and the Stampeders,” says Wilson. “And people were laughing so hard I thought they were going to fall out of their chairs. The food was excellent, the company was good, and it was a great night overall.”

The Colts are one of the very few junior football clubs in Canada without their own clubhouse, renting grass fields at Optimist Athletic Park on a year-by-year basis.

All proceeds on May 13 will go toward the club’s building fund, which has recently seen a generous donation from an anonymous friend of the team, and bring the Colts closer to the $1.3 million required for their permanent home at Shouldice Park, which now features three turf fields thanks to the efforts of the Greater Calgary Amateur Football Association.

“We still need to get some of our financing in shape, but we’re getting close,” says Wilson. “I’m an eternal optimist, but if everything comes to fruition, we’re hoping to be able to move in by the time we play our 2012 season opener (in late August). That’s what we’re shooting for.”

Anyone donating items for the silent auction on May 13 will be given prominent recognition at the gala dinner, with their company logo used in the event program and as part of a revolving PowerPoint display. To donate items, please contact Wilson at 403.259.3583 or [email][email protected], head coach Keith Kendal at 403.254.9416 or 403.815.9490, or executive secretary Wendy Wilson at 403.245.3145 or [email][email protected]

Tickets for the Colts’ Spoletini roast and fundraising gala are $125 apiece, with tables of eight going for $1,000. Tickets can be purchased through Fred Wilson, at 403.259.3583 or [email][email protected], or through any Colts director.

The Colts, with Kendal entering his 10th season overall as head coach, will hold their annual spring camp from Friday, May 6 through Sunday, May 8 at McMahon Stadium.

Todd Kimberley, Media Consultant

photo credit – Patrick Price

ABOUT THE CALGARY COLTS: A member of the Canadian Junior Football League, the Calgary Colts are a community-based organization that provides and promotes the opportunity for young men aged 17 through 22 to play in a highly competitive football environment and develop skills on and off the field through commitment to excellence. The Colts were back-to-back CJFL champions in 1989 and 1990.