There was a lot of excitement at the Clearspring Middle School this morning as Sport Manitoba announced that Steinbach will be the host community for the 2016 Power Smart Manitoba Summer Games.
“Our government is proud to support amateur sport in Manitoba,” said Ron Lemieux, Minister of Tourism, Culture, Heritage, Sport and Consumer Protection. “A love of sport and the opportunity to compete, enjoy and live the benefits of sport can go a long way into shaping a happy and productive life.”
“The Power Smart Manitoba Games are extremely important to our province, contributing significantly to the development of our athletes, coaches, officials, volunteers and communities throughout Manitoba,” said Jeff Hnatiuk, President & CEO. “We congratulate Steinbach on their successful bid to host the Games in 2016 and look forward to working with the city over the coming months to develop amateur sport in our province.”
The 2016 Power Smart Manitoba Summer Games will be held August 7-13, 2016, involving up to 1,800 participants and 1,000 volunteers. Sporting events include athletics, baseball, basketball, cycling, golf, sailing, soccer, softball, swimming, triathlon and volleyball.
“Congratulations to the City of Steinbach on their successful bid to host the 2016 Power Smart Manitoba Games,” said Leona Herzog, Manager, Business Communications at Manitoba Hydro “We look forward to working with the volunteers in the Host Communities and our partners at Sport Manitoba to ensure Manitoba’s youth experience a positive and memorable Power Smart Manitoba Games.”
The process to become a Host Community requires that all interested communities submit a formal bid package detailing plans for athlete services, hospitality, volunteers, organization structure, sport facilities and finances. The host site selection committee, consisting of Sport Manitoba and the Manitoba Games Council, evaluated all bids and performed on-site facility evaluations before choosing the successful candidate.
“We are thrilled and honoured to be chosen to host the 2016 Power Smart Manitoba Summer Games,” said Trish Enns, Co-chair, Steinbach Bid Committee. “We are excited to play a role in the development of our provinces athletes, and to foster pride in our community and region.”
“We look forward to opening our doors and welcoming our friends and neighbours from around Manitoba and showcasing our wonderful community,” added Jason Peters, Co-Chair, Steinbach Bid Committee.
The Power Smart Manitoba Games are the province’s largest ongoing multi-sport program bringing together participants from across the province. The Games are held every two years and alternate between summer and winter sports events.