With just under 100 days to go until the opening ceremony of the Surrey 2012 BC Summer Games, the official lighting of the Games torch took place Thursday, April 19 at the running track at Bear Creek Park (13750 88 Ave).
Spectators were entertained by a large contingent of Surrey youth performers, beginning with the Maple Green Elementary Steel Drummers. Others included the Quadrisauras Dance Team; the Erma Stephenson Elementary Choir and Taiko Drummers; the Princess Margaret Secondary Choir, and Elgin Park Secondary singing sensation Payton Rector, who performed Because We Dream, the 2012 Games theme song co-composed by Doug
Johnson, a Surrey resident and keyboardist of legendary Canadian recording artists Loverboy.
The ceremony culminated with a group of young Surrey athletes representing 16 of the 20 BC Summer Games sports taking part in a short torch relay on the running track, after which Mayor Dianne Watts, Surrey-Tynehead MLA Dave Hayer and a Surrey athlete representative lit the ceremonial Games torch (left).
The Games will be held July 19-22 and will attract up to 2,818 athletes with an average age of 14 years from across the province to take part in 20 sporting events at 15 venues throughout the city. A total of 3,500 local volunteers will be required to stage the Games, which are expected to have an economic impact of approximately $2.5 million in direct spending by games participants, spectators, volunteers and organizers.
Learn more at 2012bcsummergames.ca.