Young athletes from Yorkton, Melville, and Esterhazy will be competing at the Saskatchewan Winter Games (SWG) at North Battleford February 18-24. They’ll be curling, bowling, figure skating, and competing in 14 other sports. It promises to be a jammed-packed week.
Volunteers are the glue that hold the event together and they’re in short supply at the moment.
Parkland Valley Sport, Culture and Recreation District (PVSCRD) is organizing the teams in its area for the SWG. They’re looking for volunteers to help with the process.
“We want leaders,” said Erin Sobkow, the Community Consultant with PVSCRD. “You’re going to have to be good around kids.”
The volunteers (also known as Mission Staff) will have a variety of responsibilities. They will travel with the athletes to North Battleford, attend the sporting events, and organize the teams for the opening and closing ceremonies.
The Mission Staff will also serve as a liaison between the host committee and the athletes.
“It’s a lot of little things,” said Darcy McLeod, the Chef de Mission (team leader) with the PVSCRD volunteers. “[They’re] long days, but [they’re] rewarding,”
All expenses are paid by PVSCRD, including transportation, food, and living arrangements. Volunteers can sign on for half a week or for the full tournament.
“[It’s a] minimum four day committment,” McLeod said.
McLeod encourages people in the Parkland Valley District to get involved and support their local athletes.
“This [event] is these kids’ Olympics,” he said. “It’s a week of growth.”
Anyone interested in volunteering can contact Erin Sobkow at 306-786-6585, [email protected], or by visiting www.parklandvalley.ca.
