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WE SAY: Local athletes enjoyed good Games

Campbell River athletes had a great time in Nanaimo thanks to the dedicated volunteers

Months of planning and organizing came down to four days of passion and enthusiasm for thousands of athletes, coaches and volunteers at the B.C. Summer Games in Nanaimo this past weekend.

By all accounts, it was a successful, well-organized Games of which Nanaimo’s organizing committee should be proud.

The accommodations team found space for nearly 4,000 athletes and coaches to sleep in dozens of empty schools, while the transportation committee organized the province’s largest temporary fleet of buses to transport the teens and coaches to their events across the city.

Security detail kept athletes, coaches and spectators safe, while parking attendants kept lanes clear for emergency personnel.

Nearly 39,000 meals were prepared to feed hungry athletes to ensure they were well-nourished for competition in track and field, baseball, lacrosse, water sports and more – all overseen by another army of volunteers.

Nanaimo stepped up to the plate in a big way this weekend – even those who just watched from the sidelines should be proud of the effort put in by their friends and neighbours.

Any of those volunteers will probably tell you, that despite the heat on Friday and Saturday, the long nights of preparation and execution, and the stress of putting on a province-wide event, it was all worth it.

It was worth it to see the happiness on the athletes faces – many from Campbell River – as they raced for the finish line or sunk that last basket before the buzzer.

Those volunteers provided a lifelong experience for the young athletes – one that Olympic great Simon Whitfield can attest will continue in their memories and possibly drive them to further greatness in the world of sport and beyond.

– Nanaimo News-Bulletin