"You only get one chance to make a first impression."
It's one of the most worn out clichés known to man, but in the case of Estevan's bid for the 2016 Saskatchewan Summer Games it's very much apropos.
The selection committee for the 2016 Games will be in Estevan Thursday to tour the city and speak with the members of the local committee vying to bring the Games to Estevan, which last hosted them in 1980.
The Energy City is one of four communities in the hunt for the Games along with Swift Current, Melfort and Humboldt. The general speculation is that Swift Current is the leading contender among the four still in the race. Speedy Creek last hosted the Games in 1976 and have a sparkling new track and field facility that would obviously be a major component of their bid.
Luckily for Estevan, we have a pretty good ace up our sleeve in the local bid committee.
There are a lot of people around who like to take credit for things they don't necessarily deserve credit for. This committee is made up of the people who deserve the credit for a lot of things but are happy to work quietly behind the scenes to make our community a better place.
This is a dedicated group who have put together an excellent plan to present to the selection committee tomorrow. They have gone to great pains to ensure the local bid is the absolute best it can be, and we are confident they will make the decision a very tough one for the members of the selection committee.
With the bid group doing everything they can to sway the selectors, it's imperative that the citizens of Estevan also get behind the bid.
It's certain that each community still vying for the Games will make excellent presentations to the selection committee.
The tipping point for the winning community is most likely going to be the support said community shows when the selection team conducts its visit.
It is imperative that if Estevan is to win the right to host the 2016 Games we show the selectors that we actually want the Games.
There are many ways to express that support. The local committee is asking residents to show their support by putting a sign in the window of their home or on their lawn. Businesses can show their support by putting a sign or a message in their window. Social media is also important to the bid and residents are being asked to support the bid over Facebook and Twitter.
With each community making their pitch, it will be the little things that make the difference and however small something like a simple sign might seem, it will be noticed, and it will make a big difference.
We have shown in the past with events such as Riderville and the Kraft Celebration Tour that Estevan can get behind a worthwhile event. We need to show that spirit again as the Games are indeed a worthwhile event and would leave a very important legacy in Estevan.
The people in charge of the bid have adopted the slogan "We will not fail" and have taken every step to ensure they don't.
They have done their job and now it's up to the rest of the community to get behind this bid and ensure that we do not fail them.
