It took over three years of hard work to make next week in the Energy City possible and the 2016 Estevan Saskatchewan Summer Games committee’s hope is it will be everything the participating 1,800 athletes, 6,000 spectators and 1,000 volunteers desire it to be.
“I want it to be a memorable event for them,” said Brenda Lyons, marketing and promotions co-chair of the 2016 Estevan Saskatchewan Summer Games. “I coached at the 2014 Winter Games in PA (Prince Albert) and going there, arriving there, it was all of a sudden just this feeling that you were part of something bigger than you had anticipated. The people of PA were so warm and hospitable and the athletes just all got along and had a great time, so I want everyone who has come to Estevan to leave here knowing that Estevan is an amazing community.”
A torch relay will kickoff the Games at 5 p.m. on Sunday at city hall where 37 athletes will carry the flame across Estevan before lighting the Games cauldron at Affinity Place signalling the start of the Games' opening ceremonies. Brad Johner and the Johner Boys will keep the many fans company at the rink while everyone waits for the cauldron lighting with a pre-ceremony concert beginning at 6:30 p.m., which will also be the prelude to the group’s free concert later that evening at the Games’ volunteer hub in the Power Dodge Curling Centre.
Before and after the opening ceremonies the first set of athletes at the Games, who will be competing in male or female basketball, triathlon, female soccer, golf, baseball, archery or athletics, will be making their home away from home at the Athletes Village at Estevan Comprehensive School (ECS). Lyons said every night there will be about 800 kids from across this province sleeping in bunk beds at ECS.
“We’re going to feed them all through the cafeteria there and Chef (Curtis) Hack has his crew ready to go,” she said. “We also have lots of fun things planned for them as well. We have lounges and games and there is a dance on the Tuesday and Thursday nights for the athletes, so there is going to be lots to do. Part of the excitement of the Games and how it’s different than a normal baseball tournament or a normal swim meet is that there is a chance for the athletes to interact with athletes from all across the province and the people that have the same goals.”
Lyons said the first round of athletes and spectators will get a chance to meet shortly with the second squad of 800 competitors and their fans on Wednesday’s turnaround day when the initial group finishes their Games and the next crop of athletes head into town to begin theirs. She said the Athletes Village is being operated just like a hotel, so the Games' volunteers will start the cleanup as soon as the first kids leave to prepare for the next ones coming in.
This second group of kids will be trying their best to capture a gold medal in female or male volleyball, tennis, swimming, softball, male soccer, canoe/kayak or equestrian. Each of these sports has their final championship events at around noon on Saturday, which is shortly before the closing ceremonies occur at Affinity Place.
“The closing ceremonies start at 4 p.m., so the second half of athletes will do their march in at that point,” said Lyons. “They’ll all be filling Affinity Place, so we’ll get to see 900 athletes all together for the very last time. I think for some of us volunteers it’s going to be a very emotional night because we’ll see all the kids who we’ve been working so hard for so many years together in one spot and we’ll be able to celebrate athleticism and competition and friendship and team spirit.”
