The 2024 Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) Business Awards were a bit of a layup for the Vancouver Bandits, who cleaned up this year, receiving three out of the four awards.
One of these accolades was the Community Champion Award, which the Bandits earned through their various community engagement efforts, including the refurbishment of the outdoor basketball court at the Constable Rick O'Brien Youth Lounge in Pitt Meadows.
This refurbishment of the newly named Constable Rick O'Brien Court was part of a larger effort to honour the memory of Const. O'Brien of the Ridge Meadows RCMP, who was fatally shot while on duty in September 2023.
According to the CEBL, the Bandits were also given the Community Champion Award for their many other community engagement efforts, which include the release of special edition jerseys for the Terry Fox Foundation and Asian Heritage Month, the launch of a scholarship program for student-athletes in the BC School Sports Basketball Provincial Championships, and the facilitation of three cultural heritage-themed games and the annual BC Basketball Festival.
Bandits vice president of business operations, Andrew Savory, said that the team is incredibly honoured to be the recipient of this year's Community Champion Award.
"Since launching in 2018, we have been dedicated to making meaningful and long-lasting connections in our community," said Savory.
"Sports have the power to bring people together and we are grateful to work with local leaders and like-minded partners who help make our community programs possible. From youth outreach to court refurbishment and restoration, we are committed to helping more people play more basketball, as well as reducing barriers in doing so. We look forward to continuing to build together and making a positive impact."
The digital presence of the Bandits was also celebrated by the CEBL, with the organization receiving the Digital Excellence Award.
Throughout the 2024 season, the team amassed more than 8.5 million social media impressions, putting them at the top of the league. They finished in second place for newsletter subscription growth, third place for social media follower growth, and third place for CEBL+ subscriptions. The Bandits specifically saw major success on TikTok, where the team possesses the most followers, reach, and engagement amongst all CEBL teams.
To top off the list of CEBL awards, the Bandits were selected for the Franchise of the Year title.
This was, in part, given to the Bandits due to the fact that they set their best regular season record at 14-6, which put them in the top seed for the 2024 CEBL playoffs.
The total list of CEBL Business Awards winners includes:
• Digital Excellence Award (Vancouver Bandits)
• Community Champion Award (Vancouver Bandits)
• Executive of the Year (Jason Smith, Winnipeg Sea Bears)
• Franchise of the Year (Vancouver Bandits)
