Gov. Doug Burgum will present the North Dakota Theodore Roosevelt Rough Rider Award to Olympic gold medalists and advocates Monique Lamoureux-Morando and Jocelyne Lamoureux-Davidson on Wednesday, July 14, in Grand Forks, N.D., where the Lamoureux twins grew up, played for the University of North Dakota women’s hockey team and live today.
Burgum announced the Lamoureux twins as the 45th and 46th recipients of the Rough Rider Award, the state’s highest commendation for its citizens, on June 11, 2020. A formal presentation of the award in 2020 was postponed because of obstacles related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The governor will present the award to the Lamoureux twins during a public ceremony at 4 p.m. July 14 at Ralph Engelstad Arena in Grand Forks. The ceremony is free and open to the public and media and will be livestreamed. A reception will follow. Doors will open at 3 p.m., and event parking will be free in Ralph Engelstad Arena parking lots.
In addition to Burgum, Lamoureux-Morando and Lamoureux-Davidson, speakers during the ceremony will include:
- UND President Andrew Armacost.
- Coach Gordon Stafford, director of girls’ hockey and head coach at Shattuck-St. Mary’s School in Faribault, Minn., where the Lamoureux twins played high school hockey.
- Dr. Colleen Hacker, mental skills coach for USA Hockey during the 2014 Olympic Games in Sochi, Russia, and the 2018 Olympic Games in PyeongChang, South Korea, in which the Lamoureux twins played.
- David Cohen, senior advisor to the CEO at Comcast, who has worked closely with the Lamoureux twins in their advocacy efforts.
- North Dakota Secretary of State Al Jaeger and State Historical Society Director Bill Peterson, both of whom concur with the selection of Rough Rider Award recipients and will assist in unveiling the official portrait of the Lamoureux twins. The portrait was painted by Minot-based artist Vern Skaug, who since 1970 has painted many of the portraits hanging in the Theodore Roosevelt Rough Rider Hall of Fame at the North Dakota Capitol.
Lamoureux-Morando and Lamoureux-Davidson rose to national and international prominence as members of the gold medal-winning 2018 U.S. Olympic Women’s Ice Hockey Team. Each contributed game-changing moments in the gold medal game, with Lamoureux-Morando tying the game near the end of regulation and Lamoureux-Davidson scoring the game-winning goal in the shootout. Lamoureux-Morando and Lamoureux-Davidson have further used their platform as gold medalists to promote gender equity and increased access for disadvantaged youth, forming the Monique and Jocelyne Lamoureux Foundation in July 2019.
The Theodore Roosevelt Rough Rider Award recognizes present and former North Dakotans who have been influenced by the state in achieving national recognition in their fields of endeavor, thereby reflecting credit and honor upon North Dakota and its citizens.
Members of the media with questions regarding technical specifications and setup for the event should contact John Martens with the Ralph Engelstad Arena at johnm@theralph.com or (701) 777-0833.