New slogan for Penticton’s 2016 B.C. Winter Games

PENTICTON – No matter what the season, Penticton is passionate about sport. So it’s only fitting that 'Penticton’s Got Game' be the slogan for the 2016 B.C. Winter Games.

To celebrate the return of the games to the community, the host society board of directors held a 'Name Our Games' contest for the community. Penticton students and residents were invited to submit a unique slogan or tagline for the Penticton 2016 B.C. Winter Games, and over 50 entries were received.

Steve Lalonde, a 39-year Penticton resident, submitted the winning entry: 'Penticton’s Got Game.'

Every submission was entered into a chance to win prize packs, and winners were celebrated Friday night during a short rally. For his winning entry, Lalonde won four tickets to Cirque du Soleil’s presentation of Varekai at the South Okanagan Events Centre.

“I heard about the contest through work, and I thought it was a nice challenge. Any Games that come to our community will help shine the spotlight on our little town and our Okanagan Valley,” Lalonde said.

His children – Hanna, 18, and Matthew, 13, – have both participated in sports like basketball and track and field for years, which Lalonde feels is an important part of being a well-rounded individual.

“They’re wonderful athletes and their experiences in sport have been great. They’ve both been part of teams that have been competitive, and they also both succeed in school as well. They make their dad quite proud.”

The B.C. Winter Games showcase B.C.’s best young developing athletes. With an average age of 14 years old, these athletes represent the next generation of Canada’s elite athletes – like Penticton moguls skier Jordan Kober, a past B.C. Winter Games medalist who is now on the Canadian Freestyle Ski Team and has aspirations to one day compete at the Olympic Winter Games.

“The B.C. Winter Games is just such a cool experience. It is a mini-Olympics and when you are a young athlete it is a great opportunity to further yourself. There is nothing else like it,” said Kober, whose picture is on the Penticton 2016 B.C. Winter Games banner, which will appear at several community events in promotion of the Games.

“It will be a lot of fun for the athletes coming to Penticton because it is such a great community to host an event like this,” said Kober. “One of the coolest things is, besides competing, is getting to meet the people in the different sports and from all over the province.”