Princeton Wins Gold, Named Gamestown 2010

KAMLOOPS - The town of Princeton rallied together to proudly display its healthy living and Olympic spirit and capture the coveted title of GamesTown 10, Premier Gordon Campbell announced today. Dawson Creek and Kamloops were named the silver and bronze GamesTown 2010 finalists.

An Interior community of less than 3,000 people, Princeton emerged ahead of 123 other communities that submitted online entries into GamesTown, the ActNow BC initiative launched almost a year ago. Princeton's impressive showing earned the community a $100,000 cash award to be put toward upgrading a local healthy living or sport facility.

"Residents from Princeton should be proud of the enthusiasm and spirit they showed in capturing the title of GamesTown 2010. They shared more than 600 stories, photos and videos that were both creative and enthusiastic and also captured the best in healthy living and Olympic spirit in the community," said Premier Campbell. "Congratulations also to Dawson Creek and Kamloops, who won silver and bronze, respectively, by showcasing their natural surroundings as a great opportunity for sport and healthy living and by proudly promoting their recreation facilities."

Dawson Creek and Kamloops received cash awards of $50,000 and $25,000, respectively, as the silver and bronze winners. Their prize money will also be put toward the upgrade of a sport or healthy living facility in each of those communities. Princeton, Dawson Creek and Kamloops will also each receive a number of tickets to the 2010 Winter Games as GamesTown medal winners.

GamesTown 2010 was initiated by ActNow BC in February 2009. The contest gave British Columbians across the province the opportunity to submit stories, photos and videos to the GamesTown 2010 website that promoted healthy living, Olympic spirit, involvement in sport and recreation and environmental sustainability. The site will remain active through the 2010 Games so that communities can continue to share their stories of the torch relay and excitement for the 2010 Games.

"GamesTown 2010 rallied communities across the province together to promote their commitment to healthy living, but the nearly 7,500 entries submitted online also showed that British Columbians are very proud of their communities," said Mary McNeil, Minister of State for the Olympics and
ActNow BC.

Between early November 2009 and Jan. 4, 2010, almost 200,000 votes were cast by British Columbians to determine the top 10 communities.

"While we have always been very determined to strive for gold, we knew very early on that, win or lose, GamesTown 2010 was an absolutely positive process for Princeton that would reveal a number of insights into our character - that we love our community, our children, our environment and active lifestyle and that we are very proud of all these things," said Princeton Mayor Randy McLean.

Entries for GamesTown 2010 were judged by a GamesTown 2010 celebrity panel based on criteria that included promotion and support of healthy living and environmental sustainability, Olympic spirit, level of community engagement at recreation facilities and in amateur sports, and participation in the
World Healthy Living Challenge.

The GamesTown 2010 judging panel included Olympians Steve Podborski, Simon Whitfield and Nancy Greene Raine, along with Dr. Rhonda Low from CTV and Dr. Art Hister from Global. These judges selected the gold, silver and bronze medal winners.

There were 95 GamesTown 2010 communities that won prizes as part of monthly draws. Prizes included tickets to the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, athlete visits by ActNow BC athlete ambassadors, as well as healthy living and Winter Games prize packs.


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