Spirit Lives Here - Njan Tsen Ghuna.
That’s the message the 2022 B.C. Summer Games organizing committee hopes thousands of athletes, coaches, officials, supporters and spectators bring home with them from Prince George, when the city hosts the games from July 21 to 24.
“The games not only are an opportunity for the athletes to be their best, it gives the host community a chance to shine,” organizing committee president Renee McCloskey said. “I love the volunteer spirit here. The games promise to be an exciting time for the community.”
The games are expected to bring roughly 3,500 young athletes to the city, competing in 31 sports disciplines ranging from artistic swimming to wrestling. Based on analysis of previous games, the multi-sport event is expected to generate between $1 million and $2 million of economic activity in the city.
The slogan and warm colour palette for the branding is intended to evoke the colours of the summer sunrises and sunsets in Prince George, and the welcoming spirit of its people, marking committee lead Alyson Gourley-Cramer said.
“We took it quite seriously, when we thought of how we can represent Prince George,” she said. “We really wanted to go with that spirit look and feel.”
The games are also aimed at young athletes, and they aimed to create something that would resonate with the teenage competitors at the games, she added.
Residents who want to show their support for the games will be able to buy shirts and other games swag later this year, she added.
“We are really excited to be working with a local community partner (on the merchandise line),” she added.
Lheidli T’enneh councillor Joshua Seymour welcomed the games, on behalf of the First Nation’s council and people.
The Lheidli T’enneh have been involved from the beginning of the process, McCloskey said, and the inclusion of the Dakelh language in the slogan is just one small piece of that participation.
Recruitment of the roughly 3,000 volunteers needed to host the games has begun, McCloskey said. For more information on how to sign up to volunteer, go online to https://www.bcgames.org/Volunteer.
“We need people with all kinds of abilities,” McCloskey said. “Everything from setting up the sports venues… (to) we have more than 3,000 teenagers to feed for four-and-a-half days.”
When signing up, volunteers should indicate what skills they have that might be useful, she added.
