Students, Staff and Community Volunteers Ready to Host Games’ Athletes

By Diana Daghofer

Schools across the Kootenay-Columbia School District (KCSD) are stepping up to house the 1,200 athletes descending on the Rossland-Trail area for the BC Winter Games this week. A small army of volunteers is involved in everything from finding places for the athletes to sleep, to planning and preparing meals, arranging for shower facilities and transporting the athletes from place to place. JL Crowe Principal, Christine Byrd, is “really excited to host athletes from all over the province, to see them meet, mingle and exchange stories.”

JL Crowe Secondary School is hosting 345 athletes and coaches from the sports of cross-country skiing, biathlon, freestyle skiing, archery and wheelchair basketball. Archery and wheelchair basketball events are also being held at the school.

Twenty-eight classrooms are being transformed into dormitories for the athletes, with other spaces being used as an athlete’s hospitality lounge and a coaches’ lounge. “I want to make the lounges comfortable spaces for people to chat, get to know and learn from each other,” says Ms. Byrd.

Graduating students from JL Crowe will be busy welcoming the athletes and making sure they have everything they need to be comfortable – despite the thin mats they will be sleeping on! Another nine staff members and six community members have volunteered to help support the athletes while at JL Crowe. One community volunteer will even stay up all night, on all four nights of their stay, to address any needs the athletes have overnight. A medical centre has also been set up to deal with any health issues that may arise.

Besides being a great event for athletes, the BC Winter Games provide a strong rallying point for communities to come together. The partnership with Kootenay-Columbia School District is just one vital example.