The UBC Football team won their first ever Mitchell Bowl title when they defeated the St. FX X-Men this past Saturday at Thunderbird Stadium. Getting to hoist the Mitchell Bowl trophy held extra special significance for the UBC community due to the game's namesake - legendary Thunderbird, the late Doug Mitchell.


 
Doug was a star middle linebacker for UBC in the late 1950s. After graduating from law school he went on to play for the BC Lions before becoming commissioner of the Canadian Football League and then part-owner of the Calgary Stampeders. In the decades that followed, Doug, together with his wife, the Honourable Lois E. Mitchell, worked to grow the game of football at all levels through their philanthropy and dedication to giving back. 
 
Earlier this fall Lois Mitchell, along with the Calgary Stampeders and Stampeders Foundation, announced the creation of the Doug Mitchell Football Awards. The athletic scholarships, created in Doug's memory, will be directed to the University of British Columbia and University of Calgary football programs. The program will award $5,000 per year to deserving members of each school's football program based on athletics, academics and community involvement. 
 
"Doug and I have been privileged to give back to the institutions that helped lay the foundation for our successes. We met in his first year of law at UBC, while he was playing football," said Lois Mitchell. "Our journey has been one of gratitude and shared commitment to creating opportunities for the next generation. I know Doug would be very proud of the establishment of these awards in his honour to ensure that his spirit lives on, inspiring young athletes for years to come."
 
Doug Mitchell never forgot his varsity roots. His many contributions to Canadian university football included the founding of the prestigious BLG awards, established along with his wife, the Honourable Lois Mitchell, in 1992. Renamed as the Honourable Lois Mitchell and Doug Mitchell U SPORTS Athlete of the Year Awards, the highest university athletic honour in the country also provide Canada's top male and female student athletes with $10,000 scholarships to attend graduate school.
 
"Doug often attributed much of his success to the skills and attitude he cultivated through sport, particularly during his time at UBC under the leadership of his football coach, Frank Gnup. Doug was a strong believer in the transformative power of education and sport," said Lois.
 
At this weekend's Mitchell Bowl, the field and the stands were full of people who have been impacted by the legacy of Doug and Lois Mitchell.
 
""Over the years Doug and Lois have done so much for our sport of football, nation-wide.  These new awards, in Doug's memory, will assist in keeping the legacy of Doug Mitchell alive on the UBC campus.   A man who emphasized the importance of leadership, generosity and the value of varsity athletics throughout his life."," said Blake Nill, Head Coach, UBC Football.