The City of Weyburn was awarded the 2004 Saskatchewan Summer Games this week.

The news came in an announcement from Joanne Crofford, minister of Culture, Youth and Recreation, at a media conference in the Weyburn Comprehensive School Cafetorium on Monday afternoon. Weyburn was selected from a list of five cities competing for the chance to host the major provincial sporting event.

"It's time to give Weyburn a chance to show everyone what it can do," said minister Crofford. "Your community is full of wonderful volunteers that are ready to make the 2004 Summer Games a memorable experience. Congratulations."

More than 2,000 athletes, coaches, managers and officials from throughout Saskatchewan will meet in the city for the event from Aug. 8-14, 2004, which will include the annual Wheat Festival weekend. The Games have a long tradition of showcasing the province's best amateur athletes and have been staged every two years since 1972. This is the first year Weyburn has been selected as the host city for either winter or summer games.

"Any time you can get an event like this to come to the city of Weyburn for the first time, it's very exciting" said Weyburn mayor Don Schlosser. "Weyburn will be ready for the Games in 2004 and when it's over, the athletes that have been competing will always remember Weyburn."

Schlosser said the city will be preparing for the event over the next two and a half years with some capital improvements and upgrades to the city's current track, baseball fields and aquatic facilities. The improvements will not only help the event, but will stay with the city for a long time.

"Economically this is outstanding," added Todd Lawrence, president of the Weyburn Chamber of Commerce. "It's going to bring all these athletes, parents and coaches into town for a week. All the things that are going to lead up to the event will create a lot of economic activity throughout the community. Weyburn deserves this."

Lawrence said the bid committee worked extremely hard to ensure the city was selected over any of the other choices. Swift Current, Estevan, Lloydminster and North Battleford were also in the running for the chance to host the Games. This was the fifth time Weyburn applied for the Summer Games.

"The work has just begun," said Weyburn bid committee co-chair Mike Pickering. "The opportunities it's going to bring to the city with upgraded facilities, economic spinoffs and friendship throughout the community is something I'm looking forward to. Be ready, because we're going to make this the biggest and most memorable Saskatchewan Games yet."

An example of the community coming together for the Games is the Weyburn Comprehensive School Mixed Choir, which performed a modified version of the song "Catch The Spirit," containing newly written lyrics representing Weyburn's successful bid for the Games. The choir had only three days to rewrite and rehearse the song for the minister, dignitaries and guests at the press conference. The choir performed an unmodified version of the song for the selection committee when it visited the city on Oct. 16.

"We've not only caught the spirit, but we've got the Games," said choir member Megan Leach before the performance. "I was an athlete in the 2000 Games and it was a totally amazing experience. I'm looking forward to having the next generation of athletes coming to Weyburn to participate in the Games here."

"Weyburn, you have done a great job showing off your community pride," minister Crofford noted. "One of the real advantages of the Games is that they're outside Regina and Saskatoon and it really gives the smaller communities a chance to be a part of the action and show what they can do. Weyburn has the enthusiasm, capacity, facilities and planning to make the event a success."