b'2023 Report to the Community Calgary Stampede 22New Calgarians smile for a photo after officially becoming Canadian citizensA Stampede Welcome12Every year, we attract people from across the city and around the world, including some very special guests. On Friday, July 7, weCalgarians took part in a citizenshipwelcomed Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who had the opportunityceremony at Fort Calgary and officiallyto meet with a number of our youth program participants.became Canadian citizensWe invited Calgarys brand-new professional basketball team, the Calgary Surge, to join us at Tim Hortons Family Day for a morning of pancakes and an afternoon of Stampede fun on the Midway. The athletes were thrilled to put their hand-eye coordination skills to the test by flipping some pancakes, before meeting up with Harry the Horse to shoot hoops, play whack-a-mole and take a ride on the SuperWheel. We were honoured to host Elly, age 7, along with her little sister, Aneira, and her parents Amanda and Oscar together with Make-a-Wish to grant Ellys biggest wish. Her wish, an unforgettable experience at the Calgary Stampede, included visiting with the incredible dogs at the Dog Bowl presented by Voila, taking in the rides on the Midway, visiting with Calgary Prime Minister Justin Trudeau visits Stampede Royalty, being introduced on stage during the Rodeo,with families on the Stampede Midwaymeeting Barrel Racers and their horses and taking in the sights and sounds of the Evening Show.We also once again welcomed new Calgarians and took part in a citizenship ceremony at Fort Calgary, where 12 new Calgarians from three families officially became Canadian citizens. Will Osler, President & Chair of the Board, had the opportunity to congratulate the families on this incredible milestone on behalf of the Calgary Stampede. As the ceremony concluded, everyone was fitted with a white hat, an iconic symbol of community spirit in Calgary. Many felt the Stampede spirit, even exclaiming Yahoo! as cameras snapped photos of the group. There is no better way to celebrate such a momentous day than singing O Canada togetherand thats exactly what these new Calgarians did at GMC Stadium! The families were invited on stage to sing the Players from the Calgary Surge take on Harry national anthem at the Evening Show, together with thousands ofthe Horse in a winner-take-all matchuptheir fellow Canadians.'