News Release
Tuesday, March 18, 2008 8:52:00 AM
Grande Prairie Mayor Announces City Funding for the 2010 Arctic Winter Games
Yellowknife - The City of Grande Prairie will contribute $500,000 over the next two years to the 2010 Arctic Winter Games, Mayor Dwight Logan told a reception hosted by the municipality last night in Yellowknife, NWT.
About 300 guests participating at the Games were in attendance from as far away as Russia, Sweden, Finland, and Greenland.
"Hosting the Arctic Winter Games is a fantastic opportunity for our community which takes great pride in holding major sporting, recreation and cultural events," says Mayor Logan. "We are pleased to make this investment in the success of the 2010 Games. Excitement is already building in Grande Prairie as we look forward to a celebration of sports and culture like no other."
The City has already made a $130,000 contribution to the Arctic Winter Games, and has also promised a sizable gift-in-kind involvement. The $500,000 infusion of funds, taken from a 2007 budget surplus, matches the County of Grande Prairie's pledge to the Games, announced in January.
"The City made this commitment over a year ago, when the Arctic Winter Games International Committee awarded these Games to Grande Prairie," says Debbie Reid, president of the 2010 Arctic Winter Games. "This financial support just demonstrates to our volunteers the dedication the City has to making these Games possible."
Mayor Logan is in Yellowknife this week to participate in the 2008 Games as part of a delegation from the City. Several volunteers of the 2010 Arctic Winter Games Host Society are also in Yellowknife to observe the Games and meet with members of Yellowknife's Host Society.
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.
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[In attached photo, Mayor Dwight Logan and Debbie Reid, President of the 2010 Host Society, hoist a cheque representing the City's investment in the Grande Prairie Games.]
