Spirits were high on the evening of April 12, as over 120 community leaders gathered at Evangel Downtown to celebrate at the Key Volunteer Rally for the Fort St. John 2020 BC Winter Games. The event marked a major milestone in the planning process, as it provided an opportunity for all of the Presidents, Liaisons, Directors and Chairs from the host community, to meet together for the first time. As each one of these volunteers plays a unique and integral role in the execution of the Games, it was important for the group to collaborate and communicate in the early stages of the planning process.

The event kicked off with a personal story from president, Darren Snider, on how he got roped into leading the team. “I had a meeting with the mayor and I thought I was going there to hear the city was going to build a new sports field,” said Snider. “The next thing I know, the mayor is asking me to lead the 2020 Board of Directors.”

Snider provided volunteers with a clear picture of the organizational structure of the BC Games Society. This group of 120 key volunteers is tasked with the daunting challenge of managing over 1,800 volunteers and about the same amount of participants, so understanding organizational structure is key to maintaining effective communication throughout the event.

Both Alison Noble, President and CEO of the BC Games Society and Mayor Lori Ackerman spoke to the group and applauded their efforts; noting that the Games would not be successful without their hard work.

Each key volunteer was provided a jacket as a gift for the work done so far and the work to come. Overall, the evening was a huge success, with the group leaving energized and excited about the road ahead.

The following day, sport partners and the host society got together for the Host Community Sport meeting where Sport Chairs had a chance to meet their provincial counterparts and begin the planning process for the sport competitions. Venues were inspected and relationships built that will be key to hosting a successful games. While these key volunteers have a long journey ahead of them, the volunteer rally and the Host Community Sport meeting were huge steps in the planning process for this host community.