The Cowichan Valley won the bid to host the 2018 B.C. Summer Games way back in 2012 and now the four-day event is finally here.
Games President Jennifer Woike says the pieces are moving and the support from the Cowichan Valley has been awesome.
Laketown Ranch is the venue for the kickoff to the B.C. Summer Games and includes a lot of entertainment and a speech from former Summer Games athlete and Olympic bronze medal-winning swimmer, Brent Hayden.
Athletes from eight zones, an all-Indigenous team, officials, coaches, and family members are all coming to the region to enjoy the event and Woike says the volunteering targets were hit.
It’s free to attend the opening ceremonies, but the public is asked to bring their own chairs.
The entertainment starts at 6, followed by the athlete’s parade at 7.
The Vancouver Island-Central Coast zone (Zone 6) earned the most medals in Abbotsford two years ago, claiming 175, 68 of which were gold.
Line-up of Entertainment:
Local amateur performers:
Celtic Rhythm Dancers
Steps Ahead Dance Academy Dancers
O’Brien Dancers
Carlson Dance Stomp Crew
Little Miss C’s (from Carlson School of Dance)
Carlow Rush (from Carlson School of Dance)
DDT Drumline
Procession with Dais and Games protocol:
City of Duncan Town Cryer Ben Buss
Chief Seymour from Cowichan Tribes
Cowichan Drummers
Cowichan Pipes and Drums
The Porter Brothers
Lindsay Elzinga
Legion Colour Guard
Cowichan Sparks, Brownies, Guides
Athlete Oath (read by local athlete Jada Lauzon)
Torchbearers
BC Games Alumni message by Olympian Brent Hayden
Professional performers:
Shane Koyczan and his band, The Short Story Long
Asani Aboriginal women’s trio
