A local couple has taken steps to ensure the legacy in honour of Dr. Jack Parry helps top Chatham-Kent athletes for generations to come.
Jim and Jann Wickett have been sponsoring the annual Dr. Jack Parry Awards and have recently established a Donor Designated Fund with the Chatham Kent Community Foundation that will enable this prestigious award to be granted annually, in perpetuity.
They have donated $10,000 to set up the Jim and Jann Wickett Dr. Jack Parry Scholarship Fund with the goal of continuing to develop this fund over the coming years to ensure it will remain well into the future.
The Dr. Jack Parry Awards honour the top female and male graduating student athletes in Chatham-Kent in terms of their athletic credentials, academic success, and citizenship within their school and community. Annually, there are two winners, each receiving a $1,000 scholarship.
This year, Brooke MacKinnon and Anthony Atkinson, graduating students from Chatham-Kent Secondary School and John McGregor Secondary School respectively, earned the Parry honours.
The awards have been given out since 1994 in memory of Dr. Jack Parry, the father of Jann Wickett. Dr. Parry was Chatham’s first certified anaesthesiologist, a decorated Second World War veteran, and a member of the 1942 RCAF Grey Cup champions.
In 1948, he was an Olympian, Canadian National Champion in the 100- and 200-yard races and the winner of the John Davies Trophy as Canada’s top male track athlete.
In 1949, Parry received the Dr. Claude Brown Memorial Trophy as Western University’s most outstanding athlete.
