Some of the finishing touches in the preparation for the 2016 Saskatchewan Summer Games were well under way to completion, at Estevan Comprehensive School (ECS), home to what will be the athlete’s village for the week of the games.
Last Friday, a group of between 50 and 100 volunteers was hard at work, preparing the school for the influx of guests during the games. Most of the work constituted the assembly and setup of beds in the dormitory rooms for the athletes, coaches and staff who will be utilizing the village, set up in various classrooms throughout the building.
Josh LeBlanc, head of athlete services with the Sask. Summer Games committee, noted that the village will serve a number of functions, including: accommodations for between 1,000 and 1,200 expected athletes and their coaches, the location of the medical clinic for the gams, the mission center for district missions and their staff, meeting rooms, the results centre, a registration centre, and a food services center where all the meals will be prepared and served. ECS will also be the location for sporting events, such as basketball and tennis.
“It’s unbelievably fortunate for us, that we have so many volunteers present, helping us set up today,” said LeBlanc, noting that a number of local businesses contributed with work and materials required to set up the village.
Work on the village began around 8 a.m. on Friday morning, and concluded shortly after lunch, with the volunteers working quickly and efficiently to get the setup done, exceeding expectations for how long the process would take.
Leblanc added, “I want to extend a huge thanks to everyone, the volunteers and the businesses, who stepped up to help.”
