NCSAC’s Danny Cvetanovic and students treat guests from across Canada to three meals per day served with a side of NC hospitality
Sports officials involved with the Niagara 2022 Canada Summer Games have been receiving a warm Niagara College welcome while staying on-campus this August.
As part of NC’s role as a VIP Hosting Hospitality Partner for the Games, the College has provided a home-away-from-home for the officials, as well as some medical staff, who have travelled to Niagara from across Canada to preside over competitions in the region. In total, more than 600 guests will stay in the College’s campus residences in Welland and Niagara-on-the-Lake by the time the Games conclude on August 21.
“It’s been our pleasure hosting Canada Games guests this summer at our NC residences,” said Kevin Fochuck, Campus Living Residence General Manager. “The feedback has been positive with guests commenting on the quality of the College’s facilities and the excellent food.”
Preparing meals for hundreds of guests is no small feat. The team behind the endeavor includes students in the College’s hospitality, culinary and beverage programs who are led by NCSAC’s Operations Manager Danny Cvetanovic. Together, the team is serving up three meals each day during the two-week-long Canada Games at The Core (Welland Campus) and The Armoury (Daniel J. Patterson Campus in Niagara-on-the-Lake).
“We want to make sure that we provide the best food and service for our Canada Games guests,” said Cvetanovic, who is known to cater large events at NC. “We also wanted students to be part of our team to gain experience and share in the excitement.”
Cvetanovic brings a unique perspective to the task as a former professional soccer referee. Drawing on his past experiences refereeing games away from home, often staying at colleges and universities across Canada and the United States, he wanted to ensure that the NCSAC team was offering guests nutritious and hot food options to help them fuel up for their events.
“Many of the officials are also in the spotlight during events of this level with the potential of being scouted for other competitions, so these are important times for them too,” he said.
Cvetanovic had a chance to prepare for NCSAC’s Canada Games hosting duties earlier this summer, catering other sporting events.
In June, he catered meals for a group of 30 referees staying at the Welland Campus for Canada Basketball’s development weekend. He did the same for the men’s and women’s teams from Ontario Volleyball who trained on-campus for 12 days in July. With many of the same referees, athletes and coaches returning to NC for Canada Games competitions this month, he’s been able to reconnect with several people who he previously met on-campus.
Hosting Canada Summer Games officials has been a memorable experience for Cvetanovic and it’s one that also hits close to home. His late father, Mike, who was a national soccer referee in Canada, was involved in multiple Canada Games including the 1981 Games in Thunder Bay.
Collectible glassware from those Games inspired Cvetanovic to create a special commemorative glass in honour of the N22 Canada Games and NC’s hospitality partnership.
In collaboration with NCSAC, Athletics and Recreation and the Teaching Brewery/Winery, a 20-ounce pint glass was designed featuring logos for the NC Knights, the Teaching Brewery’s Beer 101 brand, and the N22 Canada Summer Games.
“We wanted to do a commemorative item as a legacy piece – something that could serve as a talking point years down the road like the glass my dad brought home from the Games in Thunder Bay,” he said.
The glasses are being gifted to Canada Games guests staying on-campus, NC staff involved with the event, and select community retailers who carry NC products including M. T. Bellies in Welland.
Left: A photo of Danny Cvetanovic with his father, Mike, beside NC’s commemorative Canada Games pint glass. The pair refereed together in the National Professional Soccer League from 1998-2001. Right: A photo of Mike Cvetanovic at the 1981 Canada Games in Thunder Bay and the glassware that he brought home from the event over 40 years ago.
