In three months the BC Summer Games will be held in Maple Ridge, and the mark the countdown, a torchlighting is coming soon.
On Saturday, April 27 the Games torch will be lit in a community ceremony in the city’s popular downtown park, said Laura Butler, president of the Maple Ridge 2024 BC Games Society.
“I’d like to invite the community to come down to Memorial Peace Park, specifically to the east side of the bandstand, at 11:45 a.m. to get settled for the torchlighting ceremony that will begin at noon,” Butler elaborated.
The torchlighting event will mark 82 days until it is officially ignited as part of the Maple Ridge 2024 BC Summer Games Opening Ceremony on July 18.
The athletes, coaches, and officials will arrive in Maple Ridge on July 17, and the competition will run from July 18 to 21.
“On July 17, over 3,000 athletes, coaches, and officials from around B.C. will converge on Maple Ridge to celebrate competition and community as we host the BC Summer Games,” explained Butler.
“We’ve already signed up over 400 volunteers, and this past weekend we visited all the local venues preparing for the competitions that will be happening in and around our city. The excitement is building, and this torchlighting is the next milestone on the journey to the Games.”
Taryn Stephenson, director of ceremonies and special events for the Games, offered “A huge thank you to the Haney Farmers Market for sharing the park with us for the torchlighting.”
The ceremony will include the signature sounds of the Maple Ridge Concert Band, some brief speeches, and of course the lighting of the torch.
Many Games directors and chairs will also be on hand to answer questions about how to get involved, Stephenson added.
More than 2,500 volunteers are needed to join Team Maple Ridge, to help deliver an exceptional Games experience.
Organizers invite families to be part of this momentous event, as the City of Maple Ridge counts down the days to the 2024 BC Summer Games.
Anyone who would like to be a BC Summer Games volunteer, is invited to visit www.bcsummergames.ca or visit organizers at the torchlighting event for more information.
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