A mother’s tribute supports the next generation

Doreen Haddad felt exhilaration each time she watched her daughter Kelly-Anne Drummond, BA 02, play for the Concordia Stingers women’s rugby team from 1999 through 2001.

“Kelly-Anne was a hooker, I remember they would heave her up into the air and she would just throw that ball!” Haddad recalls. “Kelly-Anne was a compact player, 5 foot 2, 130 pounds and all muscle. She loved the challenge of throwing that ball or running with it.”

After graduating from Concordia with a major in communication studies, Drummond became a tragic casualty of domestic violence in 2004. She was killed by her partner, who was later convicted of second- degree murder and sentenced to life in prison.

To honour Drummond’s life, the inaugural Kelly-Anne Drummond Cup between the Stingers and McGill Martlets women’s rugby teams was held in 2005. Proceeds from the annual game benefit Women Aware, a non-profit, community-based centre founded by former victims of domestic violence. The 15th annual Kelly-Anne Drummond Cup was played in September 2019, where Haddad presented the trophy to the winning team.

‘My plan for this scholarship is to support the sport and the school that she loved’

In 2019, Haddad created the Kelly-Anne Drummond Scholarship in partnership with the Concordia Women’s Rugby team. The $1,000 scholarship supports a member of the women’s team, with the inaugural scholarship awarded to third-year student Tess Armstrong.

Eligible undergraduate students must be enrolled “at least in their second year at Concordia,” Haddad says. “She must be a woman who is committed to Concordia, to playing women’s rugby, and who has the same ideals and aspirations as Kelly-Anne.

“These girls have a lot on their shoulders. So a $1,000 scholarship goes a long way. If a student doesn’t have to go out and work, then I am happy. Their priority is studying and sport.”

Haddad is proud the scholarship also continues her daughter’s legacy.

“I think her years at Concordia were the biggest highlight in Kelly-Anne’s life,” Haddad says. “And that is my plan for this scholarship, to support the sport and the school that she loved.”