NEWS RELEASE
March 17, 2008
Arctic Winter Games Torch Passed to Grande Prairie Mayor
Grande Prairie - At the 2008 Arctic Winter Games Closing Ceremonies in Yellowknife last Saturday, Grande Prairie Mayor Dwight Logan accepted the torch from the Games' International Committee President Gerry Thicke. Grande Prairie will be the next host of the Arctic Winter Games, which will take place in our city in March 2010.
2010 Arctic Winter Games Host Society President Debbie Reid, who was also in Yellowknife last week for the Games, said that it was a remarkable experience to see the emotion on the faces of the athletes and cultural participants as they said goodbye and exchanged jackets with their new friends from northern delegations as far away as Russia.
"The spirit of friendship and fair-play is very prevalent at these Games," said Reid. "Now that the torch is extinguished in Yellowknife, it's our role as a host society to light the flame in the hearts of the people in the Grande Prairie region, and to get them out and involved as we build up to March 2010."
Also playing a prominent role at the Closing Ceremonies was Rycroft speedskater Landon Schoorlemmer, who was selected to carry the Team Alberta North flag and lead the team into the closing ceremonies. Schoorlemmer collected a gold medal, setting an Arctic Winter Games record in the 500 metre Juvenile Male event. Landon also won two silvers in the 777 metre event and the 2000 metre relay race.
Team Alberta North's final medal count was 29 gold, 36 silver and 24 bronze medals resulting in a fourth place finish with 89 medals. Several young athletes and cultural performers from around the region were members of the team, and brought home medals.
The Arctic Winter Games is a high profile circumpolar sport and cultural event for northern participants. Since their inception in 1970, the Games now include participants from Alaska, the Northwest Territories, Yukon, Nunavut, Northern Alberta, Northern Quebec (Nunavik), the Russian province of Yamal, Greenland, and the Sami people of Norway, Sweden, Russia and Finland. Grande Prairie is the southern-most community to host the Games, to be held from March 6-13, 2010.
Media enquiries may be directed to:
Debbie Reid, President, 2010 Host Society
Phone: 780-814-1934 (Cell) 780-402-2770 (Business)
dreid@theupsstore.ca
Team Alberta North
Scott Fraser, Media Liaison
Phone: 780-422-8310
