Many tears of joy and sadness have been spilt over the last few days in Penticton, but as the BC Winter Games wrap up, it’s important to remember that they weren’t all about who won and who lost.
No, this isn’t a “you’re all winners” speech, but more went on over the four days of the games than just competition. For the athletes, connections and friendships were made, some that will last a lifetime, and every participant—competitor, coach, volunteer, or spectator—will be taking home the memory of an incredible experience.
And that experience, largely, was due to the community putting its heart and many, many bodies behind making this event a success, whether by volunteering or simply helping welcome 1,700 young athletes to our community.
Penticton, as a whole, deserves a slap on the back and an “attaboy” for coming together to host these games. That goes double for the massive number of volunteers that came forward, some of whom have been working for two years and more to make sure everything came off smoothly on game days.
Because this wasn’t some corporate or government-run operation, with volunteers getting involved just on game day. From the day it was announced Penticton had been selected as the site for the 2016 winter games, there has been an ever-increasing pool of volunteers planning, organizing and eventually implementing the games.
Mayor Andrew Jakubeit said that without what he calls Penticton’s “volunteer army” not only would the Winter Games not have been possible, neither would many of the other events that keep Penticton busy all summer.
So, to the more than 1,800 volunteers who made these games a success, we would like to offer our thanks. You are a great example of what a community can accomplish when it comes together in a common cause.