2011 Western Canada Summer Games Newsletter

Games News The Games Begin With YOU!

Summer 2010

AUGUST 5TH TO 14TH 2011

Kamloops 2011 Western Canada Summer Games

Inside This Edition One Year to Go Celebration

page 2

Message from the President - One Year to Go!

Page 3

Kate Morgan - You Were Made For This

page 4

Sport Spotlight - Beach Volleyball

page 5

Canada's Tournament Capital - Kamloops, British Columbia

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Julie Dormer, Mascot Chair

page 7

WCSG Board of Directors

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Kamloops 2011 Western Canada Summer Games 262 Lorne Street, Kamloops, British Columbia V2C 1W1 Phone: 250-372-1157 | Fax: 250-372-1158 Email: info@2011wcsg.ca www.2011wcsg.ca

Presenting Sponsor

Funding Partners

The Games Begin With YOU!

Celebrate One Year to Go! The Countdown Begins

AUGUST 5TH TO 14TH 2011

Tuesday, August 10 ~ Hillside Stadium 11:00 am to 1:00 pm Free BBQ hosted by the City of Kamloops Free swimming Canada Games Pool 1-4 pm Free transit from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm Meet the new Games Mascots Balloons, tattoos, face painting Prize draws every 11 minutes Grand Prize –weekend at Sun Peaks Resort Live music by the Blues Jumpers Kate Morgan performs the new Games song “You Were Made for This”

Show your support for Kamloops to host the 2015 Canada Winter Games & attend the One Year to Go Celebration!

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The Games Begin With YOU!

One year to go!

AUGUST 5TH TO 14TH 2011

Time truly does fly. Since members of our board visited the 2007 Western Canada Summer Games in Strathcona County, Alberta we have been working diligently in planning our own great event in 2011.

Our board of directors has recruited program chairs to supplement their directorates and help with the planning.

Well over 100 volunteer directors, chairs and staff have spent thousands of hours on budgets, schedules, infrastructure, fundraising and all the other pieces it takes to complete the puzzle that is a major multi-sport Games.

Henry Pejril—President

Like anyone involved in Sport we are doers. That makes this an extremely exciting time for us as we finally transition from planning to the operational phase of this event. From now on we are putting our plans into action and look forward to seeing concrete results.

Many cities pay lip service to having the best volunteers around but we in Kamloops can take pride in the fact that we actually prove our strong volunteer commitment to sport time and time again. Having the capacity to host major events gives the residents of Kamloops a well deserved source of pride. It’s something we excel at and we’ve earned a well deserved reputation.

With our focus on the volunteer in our Games we are extremely pleased with the partnership we’ve created between our own Volunteer Directorate and the Tournament Capital Club, which is administered through the Kamloops Sports Council. The Tournament Capital Club is the vehicle whereby we can recognize and reward the many sports volunteers that support the over 100 events Kamloops puts on annually. Ours is the first major event that will be working in partnership with the Tournament Capital Club. It is the intention of our board to leave a strong and lasting legacy from our Games that will support the Sports Volunteer in Kamloops and the Tournament Capital Club is the best vehicle for that.

Our tag-line “The Games Begin with You” speaks to the many elements it takes to bring a major Games together. It starts with the commitment of the Athletes, the support of Coaches and Officials, and the Volunteer Board and Chairs who plan and organize. The most important cog in this wheel is the Sport Volunteer. Medical, security, hosts, individual sport venue workers, etc. are all absolutely necessary components of a successful Games, and we have the best in the business living right here in Kamloops!

As we move into our operational phase it is also time to start inviting the volunteers and community of Kamloops to join us and be part of this exciting event. Starting today we will be looking to recruit 2,011 additional volunteers to help these 2,000+ high performance athletes in this very important step in their sport development.

The Games truly do Begin with You! Western Canada will be watching us as we kick off the countdown to 2011 so let’s show them how it’s done! Come out to Hillside Stadium on August 10 and show your support for the Games!

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The Games Begin With YOU!

Kate Morgan “You Were Made for This”

AUGUST 5TH TO 14TH 2011

Kamloops’ own Kate Morgan has written and composed the Official Games Song for the Kamloops 2011 Western Canada Summer Games.

Kate will perform her song live, for the first time, at the August 10th “One Year to Go” countdown celebration.

The song, entitled “You Were Made For This” was selected by a committee through an RFP process.

Alison Stewart, 2011 WCSG Protocol Director stated that all of the songs submitted were excellent and it was a challenging decision to make. In the end the committee felt Kate’s lyrics and music best represented the spirit of young athletes and the Games.

16 year old Kate Morgan of Kamloops, performed with Sarah McLachlan’s Lilith Fair in Calgary Alberta on June 27.

She was also invited on stage for the finale in Vancouver where she shared the mic with the likes of Cheryl Crow and Colbie Caillat.

Kate’s reaction to her Lilith Fair stint is understandably one of awe, “It was the most incredible experience of my life! I can’t even begin to explain how it felt to spend so much time with all those incredible women”.

Kate’s inspiration for the song came directly from her own experience as a Team BC Athlete during the Western Canada Summer Games, held in Strathcona County, Alberta in 2007. She and her team mates competed in sprint canoe and won two bronze medals.

Kate is hopeful that her brother will be following in her footsteps and be competing in the Kamloops 2011 Games, also in sprint canoe. As for Kate, she is retiring her paddle and focusing on her music career.

Kate is well known in Kamloops as an up and coming musical talent. She recently performed with Lilith Fair on June 27 in Calgary. As luck would have it, she was also invited on stage for the finale in Vancouver where she shared the mic with the likes of Sarah McLachlan, Cheryl Crow and Colbie Caillat. Kate’s reaction to her Lilith Fair stint is understandably one of awe, “It was the most incredible experience of my life! I can’t even begin to explain how it felt to spend so much time with all those incredible women”.

During the 2010 Winter Olympics Kate and her band performed at several venues in Vancouver and Whistler including a performance in GM Place before the men’s hockeyquarter finals. She has recently released an 8 song CD entitled “The Kate Morgan EP “.

Kate’s song will be used over the next year, to promote the Games and will be featured on the website as well as at events hosted by the Games Society.

During the Games the song will be used at the Opening and Closing Ceremonies as well as during Medal Presentations.

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The Games Begin With YOU!

Beach Volleyball

AUGUST 5TH TO 14TH 2011

Sport Spotlight Beach Volleyball Though popularized in Southern California, the first recorded beach volleyball games took place on the beaches of Waikiki in Honolulu, Hawaii in the early 1900’s.

The sport has experienced an ever increasing popularity since the 1980’s and has been an official Olympic sport since 1996.

Expansion of the Beach Volleyball facility at Overlander Park was completed this summer in preparation for the Kamloops 2011 Western Canada Summer Games. The Kamloops Volleyball Association has already begun using the courts for their Wednesday evening matches.

BA Dawson Blacktop generously donated their, time equipment and material, totaling approximately $45,000 in kind. The City of Kamloops, which owns Overlander Park will maintain the facility.

The courts were to International competition standards providing the City with the capability of hosting world class Beach Volleyball tournaments and events. It includes four courts, one which will be lit for night matches.

Charlie Bruce, Sport Director for the 2011 Western Canada Summer Games stated, “We are very grateful to BA Dawson Blacktop and the City of Kamloops for their contributions towards this project. I’m thrilled that we will now have the opportunity to be part of this up and coming, growing sport and make Kamloops a destination for Provincial and National Beach Volleyball training and tournaments.”

BA Dawson Blacktop crew preparing the base for the new beach volleyball courts, June 2010

The Kamloops 2011 Western Canada Summer Games will have seven male and seven female teams participating in Beach Volleyball. Teams consist of two athletes with a total of 28 athletes competing.

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The Games Begin With YOU!

Things to do in Kamloops

AUGUST 5TH TO 14TH 2011

Unique Activities To Do in Kamloops Kris Austin, Manager, Sports, Meetings & Events – Tourism Kamloops

Kamloops blends energizing recreational opportunities with a culture of warm, welcoming people, allowing visitors to let loose and just play! And as BC's Friendliest City, visitors are sure to feel welcome. Summer is here so its time to get out and golf in Kamloops! Check out one of our 13 remarkable courses! Other things to do this summer include hiking, fishing, dirt-biking, mountain biking and so much more!

When visiting Kamloops, why not try something totally unique. Head out to the Centre of the Universe, check out the BIG Little Science Centre, charter a helicopter tour...the unique adventures are endless. Call or email the Kamloops Visitor Centre for some more interesting ideas, or check out our Sample Itineraries.

Free Things To Do in Summer Mountain Biking: bike ride downtown or at the Kamloops Bike Ranch Skate Parks: for those who are looking to skateboard in Kamloops, there are some great skate parks to try out including the skate park by Exhibition Park on River Street as well as the large 2,000 square metre Kamloops Skate Park located at McArthur Island Park.

Tubing on the Thompson River: grab a tube, lifejacket and friends for a day of lazy fun Music in the Park: from July 1 to August 31, from 7 - 8:30 pm each evening, enjoy free live music at the Rotary Band shell at Riverside Park Bizarre Bazaar: see local artisan's displays of artwork at Bizarre Bazaar and maybe purchase a piece or twoFarmers' Market: stroll through the Farmers' Market from mid April to the end of October on Kamloops' North and South shores Hiking: explore miles of hiking terrain in one of 82 parks in Kamloops A Variety of hotels in Kamloops are now offering Special Early Bird Pricing for 2011 Western Canada Games athlete’s friends & family. Please go to wcsg2011.ca for a listing of participating properties For the latest information on events happening in Kamloops or for more ideas on what to do when visiting, please visit the Tourism Kamloops website: tourismkamloops.com

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The Games Begin With YOU!

Volunteer Central Julie Dormer—Mascot Chair AUGUST 5TH TO 14TH 2011

Julie Dormer is the most recent volunteer, addition to the 2011 WCSG team. She has taken on the role of Mascot Chair for the Games. This involves training volunteers to act as mascots, creating the mascot’s personality and developing their character and booking the mascots for events.

The Mascots will appear at numerous community events over the next year and will be prominent during the Games when they take place from August 5 to 14, 2011.

The mascot’s identity has been kept a secret until the “One Year to Go” countdown celebration on August 10! The milestone event promises to be the community spirit festival of the summer and marks the first ever appearance of the 2011 Games Mascots!

Julie began acting as a mascot in 1992 when she was still in high school. She responded to an ad in the paper for mascots for the 1993 Canada Summer Games which were hosted in Kamloops that year. “Many people here in Kamloops remember Buttercup and Cactus. They were very popular and I’ve even seen people still wearing their tshirts! I was Buttercup. Sometimes I played Cactus, but most of the time I was Buttercup”.

After the 93 Games Julie was addicted. “In a way you feel like a celebrity because the character is, and even if nobody knows it’s you in the suit, you still get the feeling of what it’s like. People will see you and come running over to shake your hand or give you a hug.”

She went on to play Aberdeen Andy for a year; the Mall’s Marmot mascot. “At the time I was about 17,” she recalls. “Because the costumes get really hot, I would spend 20 minutes in the costume as Andy, then 20 minutes out shopping. When you’re that age, what better job could there be!”

Julie as Sumi at the One Year to Go for the 2010 Olympics and Paralympics

When asked about her most memorable experience it is hands down playing the role of an Olympic Mascot for the Vancouver 2010 Olympics! Julie played Sumi during the One Year to Go celebration in Kamloops and most recently, Quatchi when the torch relay came through the city. “It was a highlight for me.

How many people can say they were an Olympic Mascot? It was a huge honour”, she says.

Julie and her alter ego Quatchi

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The Games Begin With YOU!

Kamloops 2011 Western Canada Summer Games Board of Directors Henry is a great believer in the sports system and considers the Western Canada Summer Games a major stepping stone for high performance athletes.

He brings a wealth of sport experience to the Games including; Past President of the Kamloops Sports Council, President of the 2006 BC Summer Games for which he received the Kamloops Pioneer Spirit Award, Organizer of many National Cycling Championships and two World Masters Mountain Bike Championships. In 2004 he was the Sport BC President’ Award winner.

AUGUST 5TH TO 14TH 2011

Current Volunteer Leadership Opportunities

Henry Pejril— President

Media Mission Center Observer Program Officials Services Telecom

Carolynn believes in the power of sport and what it means to a community. Her passion has always revolved around sport as an athlete, coach, official, volunteer and sport administrator.

Her past experience includes Team Canada Mission Staff for the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Australia, Team BC Mission Staff for the 2009 Canada Summer Games in PEI, 2005 World Master Games – Volleyball competitor, 1993 Canada Games in Kamloops as a volleyball official and venue supervisor and most recently as a Silver Medal Winner in shot-put at the 2010 World Masters Athletics in Kamloops.

For details go to our website www.2011wcsg.ca Our Facebook Page

Married, with two grown sons Henry has called Kamloops home for over 30 years. He owns a local building mechanical systems testing, balancing and commissioning agency.

Her role as General Manager for PacificSport Interior BC allows her to be Carolynn Boomer actively involved in many sports including personally; volleyball, skiing Pacific Sport Liaison and golfing. She has been married for 20 years and has two sons. & Technical Chair Charlie is excited to be helping celebrate sport with the athletes that will be attending the 2011 Games.

His experience includes involvement with the 1993 Canada Games, 2006 B.C. Summer Games and Senior Games in Kamloops. Most recently Charlie was a Cross Country Ski Official for the 2010 Olympics in Whistler.

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Charlie Bruce Sport Chair

Charlie is a School Principal. He and his wife are avid outdoor enthusiasts who, along with their Wheaton dog, Baylee, enjoy the active lifestyle Kamloops offers.

Gerard Hayes is the Director of the Ancillary Services at Thompson Rivers University (TRU). He is responsible for all the business operations at TRU including Housing, Bookstore and Food Services. He says that, “it is important for the University to support and be involved in community events. The WCSG is a great opportunity to showcase the City of Kamloops and the facilities at Thompson Rivers University.”

YouTube Gerard Hayes Athletes Village

Gerard is very active in the community and is the current Chair of the Board of the Thompson Nicola Cariboo United Way. He is a member of the Daybreak Rotary Club and a member of the Kamloops Tourism Board.

He also served on a committee for the World Masters Indoor Athletics Championship (Kamloops, March 1 – 6, 2010).

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The Games Begin With YOU!

Marg considers herself a “professional volunteer”; starting as a ball watcher at a golf tournament at 8 years old, to a Candy Striper before entering nursing school. Her specialty is organizing medical coverage for sporting events. Most recently she was the Nurse/First Aid Chair for the 2006 BC Cup. As well she organizes medical coverage for several annual sporting events each year. To shake things up a bit, she organized coverage at two Much Music ‘Snow Job’ Concerts. Nominated by her peers and fellow volunteers, Marg recently received an Award of Distinction from the College or Registered Nurses British Columbia.

Marg Kosolofski Medical

Marg works part- time in Emergency and has been the Coordinator of the Sun Peaks Emergency Medical Response Team for 16 years. She sits on the Board of Directors for Sun Peaks Health Association, was instrumental in identifying the need for First Responders and manages the Sun Peaks Health Clinic. Marg has been married for 38 years to her sports minded husband, Earl, who is also an avid volunteer.

Bruce is an Architect operating his own practice in Kamloops that has provided Architectural Services to numerous projects for the City and School District over the last 20 years. His experience with the design and construction of public facilities will be an asset since most events will occur in conjunction with these types of buildings.

Bruce is an enthusiastic recreational cyclist and has participated in key venue roles for four national and two world cycling championships within the Kamloops region. His role as Facilities Chair for the 2006 BC Summer Games in Kamloops offers experience in the management of multi-sport, multi-venue competitions.

Bruce MacKinnon Facilities

Maureen previously sat on the board of directors for the Strauss Canada Cup of Curling in 2003 and 2008. She enjoys running in her spare time and has been involved with the Kamloops Daily News Boogie the Bridge, Jo’s Road Race, Ford World Curling and the 1993 Canada Summer Games hosted in Kamloops.

Maureen feels that as the Tournament Capital of Canada, events like the Western Canada Summer Games help showcase the community, facilities and people while providing opportunities for the development of young athletes, coaching, officials, and economic spinoffs to the community.

Maureen McCurdy Operations

Dave enjoys volunteering and sees the Games as an opportunity to raise the profile of Kamloops throughout Western Canada and enticing people to come back.

During the 2006 BC Summer Games Dave was the Director of Transportation. He is married and enjoys home renovations, golf and traveling.

Dave Mell Transportation

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The Games Begin With YOU! Jack is currently the Dean of the School of Education at Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops. Jack was awarded a Doctorate in Education from the University of British Columbia in 2004 at the age of 59 and considers himself to be a lifelong learner.

Jack has had extensive experience in physical education, recreation, and sports, having spent over 20 years in this field in the Canadian Forces in a variety of leadership and teaching roles. He also spent two years as a coordinator in the Curriculum Development Branch of the BC Ministry of Education.

Jack Miller Provincial Liaison

Jack is a Past-president of the Coaches Association of BC and is currently a member of the Board of Directors of the PacificSport Regional Centre. He was recently recognized for his volunteer work as one of Kamloops’ Best 150 Community Builders and Volunteers.

Jack is currently the coach of the TRU Cross-country Running Team and is an elite Masters competitor in track, road racing, and cross-country running. He has completed 54 marathons to date and plans to keep running and competing for many years to come. His next big challenge is to compete in the Penticton Ironman in 2011 or 2012.

Penny and Seiko have been involved with the Canada Summer Games, BC Special Olympics, BC Winter and Summer Games along with being an integral part of the organizing committee for the Kamloops International Judo Tournament for 11 years. They have assisted judo clubs throughout BC and Canada to host tournaments and assisted with numerous Junior and Senior National Judo and World Judo Championships.

Seiko & Penny Ouchi Volunteers

Penny operated a family daycare for 20 years and has been involved for 40 years with Girl Guides of Canada at all levels both locally and provincially. She presently sits on Strata Board at the Senior Complex.

Seiko is an International level Judo Referee and currently Chairman of Judo BC Referee Committee. He is a former member of the Judo BC Executive and Judo Canada Referee Committees.

Penny and Seiko work together at Seiko’s Notary Public practice of 28 years and have 5 children and 8 grandchildren whom they love to spoil.

Larry was a full time Radio and TV broadcaster for 27 years before moving to his current position as Sports Information Officer at Thompson Rivers University. His current role sees him responsible for all media functions and community events involving WolfPack Athletes, now numbering 10 teams in three different leagues. He is a Level III NCCP accredited coach and is involved with Kamloops Youth Soccer Association where he is coaching mostly U-11 girl’s teams. He has also coached previously in the Kamloops Minor Hockey Association.

A five time winner of the Kamloops Daily News “TV Personality of the Year”, Larry likes to be involved with a number of non-profit organizations, helping them MC their events. He is a member of the Kamloops ““Raise a Reader Board” and is married with three children.

Larry Read Media Brian wants to participate in an event which will highlight the community spirit and event management skills in Kamloops. “I love the rush of volunteering for an event. The date is coming and you just need to get on board and get the job done.”

His experience includes Chairman of the 1993 Kamloops Centennial, Director of the 1996 Canadian Men’s Curling Championships and Vice-President of the 1998 World Curling Championships.

Brian Ross Fundraising

Brian is a Senior Partner at Fulton & Company and enjoys biking, skiing and fishing in his spare time. He has developed his management skills raising five wonderful children in this great Tournament Capital of Canada City!

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The Games Begin With YOU!

Ralph Saunders, IT Director for the Games, enjoys the challenge of helping to successfully stage a major sporting event. This, and his desire to promote healthy activities for young people, is what attracted him to working with the 2011 WCSG. Ralph’s past experience includes Accommodation Unit Chair for the 1993 Canada Games, hosted in Kamloops, Timing and Results Coordinator for the 2004 and 2005 Tim Horton’s Road Cycling Nationals and the 2006 BC Summer Games as Registration and Results Director.

Ralph is married and works as an IT Professional in Kamloops. He enjoys cycling, gardening and wood construction projects, in his spare time.

Ralph Saunders IT Services

He feels the 2011 Games are important to the City as the facilities that are built to support these types of events benefit the citizens of Kamloops by providing venues for healthy lifestyles.

The Municipal Services Directorate is responsible for coordinating the in-kind contributions by the City of Kamloops. Tasks include sourcing equipment and materials, liaising with various department heads and in general working as a conduit between the individual Games directors and the City infrastructure.

Rather than have each directorate try to source help or materials on their own the Municipal Services directorate will be the “Face of the Games” as far as City staff will be concerned. All requests for and provision of services, goods, equipment, etc. will be funneled through this directorate.

Sean Smith Municipal Services

The Protocol Directorate prepares for, invites and welcomes guests, organizes and oversees pre-Games and Games official functions. Protocol organizes and trains Ambassadors as well as coordinates medal presentations.

Alison Stewart Protocol

Doug Stewart Finance

The Finance Directorate is responsible for creating and overseeing a Games Budget and Business Plan as well as oversight of all financial aspects of the games as they relate to revenue and disbursements, purchasing control, quarterlies and annual reports.

Additionally the Finance Directorate is responsible for a final economic impact study for the benefit of both the WCG Society and the City of Kamloops.

As a retired RCMP member stationed in over 20 communities throughout Canada, Reid brings a wealth of experience to this position. He has served as a supervisor, instructor and trainer and recognizes the value of each individual in a team approach. He has broad knowledge of law enforcement and security, coupled with strong liaisons in the community.

Reid is currently employed by the City of Kamloops as a Court Liaison Officer at the City Detachment. He loves sports and has been involved in numerous venues in various capacities. He believes in the value of sports, not only for sport itself but in the way it builds community for all ages.

Reid Tait Security

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The Games Begin With YOU!

Sponsors of the Kamloops 2011 Western Canada Summer Games Presenting Sponsor

AUGUST 5TH TO 14TH 2011

Funding Partners

MEDIA DIAMOND

The Games Begin With YOU! “A sincere Thank You to all of the Games Sponsors for their generous contributions towards making this event possible”

DIAMOND Official Clothing & Merchandise Provider

PLATINUM Official Bank

GOLD

SILVER Find us on the Web www.2011wcsg.ca BRONZE

SPORT PATRON

Kamloops 2011 Western Canada Summer Games 262 Lorne Street Kamloops, BC V2C 1W1 Phone: 250-372-1157 Fax: 250 372-1158 Email: info@2011wcsg.ca

Aon Reed Stenhouse | Canadian Springs | City Furniture | Denny’s | Focus |Funk Signs Gordon Food Services | Heritage Office Furniture | Hyundai |Menzies Printing | Net Shift Media | Pioneer Moving and Storage | PMA Canada | SHAW | TELUS | Vincor Warner Rentals SUPPORTER

BC Athletics | Centra Glass | Flavours of India | Kent Wong Photography | Ladies of the Moose | Prairie Coast Equipment | Tenisci Piva Accountants | Urban Systems | Walco FRIENDS OF THE GAMES

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