55 Plus Games

4 MANITOBA LIQUOR & LOTTERIES 55 PLUS GAMES | SUPPLEMENT TO THE WINNIPEG FREE PRESS BRANDON HANDS THE GAMES TORCH TO KILLARNEY ❙ FOR THE FREE PRESS When the town of Killarney plays host to the 2017 Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries 55 Plus Games in June, the organizers will be following in the footsteps of the team that orchestrated the very successful 2016 event. Brandon hosted the most recent edition of the popular, multi-sport event for Manitobans aged 55 years and older last year, bringing visitors and residual profits to the Wheat City. The Games featured 25 sports reflecting various skill levels, from cerebral events such as Scrabble, contract bridge and cribbage to traditional athletic events including running, swimming and slo-pitch. An initiative of the Active Living Coalition for Older Adults in Manitoba (ALCOA-MB), the 55 Plus Games were established as a celebration of healthy living as well as validation that people of all ages benefit from physical activity and socially-engaged lifestyles. Not only did the participants reap the benefits of the Games experience, but the host community did, too. "Hosting the event was great for Brandon," says Bernie Chrisp, co-chair of the 2016 Games. "Over 900 people were in the Games and along with their families, there were well over 1,000 visitors to the city. The hotels and restaurants did really well as did the respective venues that hosted events." The three-day Games took place at several sites around the city, including the Glen Lea Golf Course, Riverview Curling Club, Brandon Legion and the Brandon University Healthy Living Centre. Chrisp says financial assistance from Brandon First, the city's destination marketing organization, and the City of Brandon helped all venues improve their facilities, leaving a lasting legacy for the community. The Brandon Games were presented through a partnership between the local Rotary Club and United Commercial Travellers (UCT) organization. Chrisp, already well-known for his community service in a variety of high-profile events including the 2010 Olympic Torch Relay and the Canadian Special Olympics Summer Games, co-chaired the 55 Plus Games event with UCT's similarly civic-minded Dave Poets. The collaboration marked the first time two service clubs joined forces to host this event, as well as the first time these two service clubs have worked together on a large-scale community project. With Games headquarters at the Keystone Centre, members of the Brandon Host Committee combined their talents and energy to stage the Games, an opening night concert and a closing banquet and dance for participants representing every region of the province. Every aspect of the Games was enhanced by solid volunteer support from the citizens of Brandon. "One of the most satisfying parts of the experience for me was working with all of the great volunteers to make the Games a success," says Chrisp. "It was nice to have participants come up and thank everyone who helped during and before the Games. Overall, a very successful Games were held here." Chrisp says he also felt fortunate to have a host committee executive — with three members from the Rotary Club of Brandon and two from UCT — who were willing to go the extra mile to get things done and done well. He advises future host committees to work closely with ALCOA-MB, assemble an experienced committee and appoint responsible chairs for sub-committees for such critical areas as fundraising, sports, finance, equipment, venue set-up and volunteer co- ordination. Chrisp also says it's critical to ensure venues are confirmed well in advance of the event and to recruit and train volunteers. And in the spirit of the event, he says it's key to publicize the Games across the province to encourage maximum participation. ❙

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