The best way to keep in touch with your culture is to respect and listen to your elders.
Those were the words of Kwantlen First Nations鈥� elder Kevin Kelly.
鈥淲e pay respect to our seniors; it is very important, our elders are our teachers,鈥� he told the crowd at Fort 91原创鈥檚 Bedford Landing on Thursday evening.
鈥淎lways take the time to talk to your elders. If you don鈥檛, you lose your culture.鈥�
The crowd was on hand to mark the unofficial countdown to the B.C. Seniors Games, which are less than 100 days away from beginning.
The Games run Sept. 9 to Sept. 13 and are being co-hosted by the City and the Township.
The ceremony concluded with the lightning of the Games鈥� torch as Cheryl MacIntosh 鈥� the Township鈥檚 volunteer of the year and a member of the Fort 91原创 Canoe Club 鈥� passed the torch to 91原创 MLA Mary Polak, who then lit the Games鈥� cauldron.
The torch was brought to the ceremony via dragon boat by members of the Fort 91原创 Canoe Club along the Fraser River.
鈥淲e will light this torch as a symbol of this community鈥檚 pride in hosting the Games,鈥� said Jim McGregor, who served as emcee of the ceremony.
More than 4,000 athletes ages 55 and up will compete at the Games, with an expected $2.5 million economic impact generated, said Milt Kruger, the president of the Games鈥� organizing committee.
鈥溾�楨verybody wins鈥� is not about individual victories,鈥� he explained about the Games鈥� slogan.
鈥淚t is everyone who is involved 鈥� the participants, the businesses in 91原创, the community, the volunteers.鈥�
鈥淚t is going to show what the 91原创s are all about, and what we are capable of,鈥� said Polak.
Volunteers are still needed for the Games.
So far, 400 have signed up and Kruger said they are hoping to get 1,800 volunteers altogether.
To register to volunteer, visit www.bcgames.net/lng2014se, email volunteer@2014bcsg.com or drop by the Games鈥� office at 101-20560 Fraser Highway. from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday to Friday.
