It has been just shy of five months since Estevan was awarded the 2016 Saskatchewan Summer Games.
The local Games committee has been working on a number of fronts over that period, and the action is about to pick up on preparations for the event.
They have been working in particular on sponsorship, especially for the new track and field facility to be built at Estevan Comprehensive School.
Marketing and communications co-chair Brenda Lyons said the group is planning to launch their sponsorship package to the business community in mid-May, presenting the options available for corporate sponsors to support the Games financially. That will include the naming rights for the track. The committee is also hoping to announce their first few sponsors for the facility at that time.
Tenders will be going out for the track shortly and a sod-turning ceremony is tentatively scheduled for mid-June.
The Games committee has already secured a significant portion of the cost of the track facility through grant agreements with the City of Estevan and the South East Cornerstone School Division.
More recently, during the 2014 Winter Games in Prince Albert in February, the Saskatchewan Games Council announced a matching grant which will see money raised in the community matched, up to $250,000.
Lyons said an exact figure was not yet available as to how much money is still required to finance the track.
"We have a big chunk ready and in place. We know it's going to happen, we just need some fundraising and sponsorship. We want to work so hard to keep people talking about the Games and keeping the excitement."
The process of forming sub-committees to look after various aspects of the Games is also underway. Lyons said now is the time for those interested to get on board, either by joining a sub-committee or volunteering in another way.
She said the group is close to launching an e-mail address and revitalizing their social media campaign, "so there will be different ways for people to sign up."
Meanwhile, Lyons said the committee is also finalizing its fundraising package and taking a look at what worked and what didn't in Prince Albert.
"We're doing a recap of what we learned at the Winter Games. We're going to do focus groups with the people who attended there, so we can get athletes and parents who participated and find out what went right and what maybe wasn't so good. We're capitalizing on the good work they did."
