In 19 days' time, one of the biggest events ever to be held in the City of Weyburn will have its opening ceremonies, as the 2004 Saskatchewan Summer Games will get underway with the opening ceremonies.

The eyes of the province will be on this city for the week of Aug. 8 to 14, as over 2,000 athletes and coaches converge here for the Games, along with spectators from throughout the province, anxious to see how the athletes from their zone will fare.

Besides the report of all of these visitors here, there will doubtless be media representatives from several outlets, including print, radio and TV, here to cover various aspects of the Games as well, passing along images and impressions of Weyburn to the rest of the province.

For the athletes and coaches and other Games and zone officials, the focus day-to-day will be on the events themselves, along with the events and activities that occupy their time otherwise, and the comfort and service received in the sleeping and eating areas of the Athletes' Village.

Games and city officials, as well as business and service industry members, are anxious to see not only that everyone enjoys themselves and has a great time while they're here, but that these visitors will be impressed enough to let others know what a great place Weyburn is, and make return visits themselves.

What is the key behind making this possible, and indeed, behind making the Games events a total success? Volunteers - they will make, or break, this event for Weyburn.

Every aspect of the Games, from the setup to the staging of the events, ensuring the athletes are fed and transported to the right place at the right times, to ensuring their safety and security, not to mention that of the venues themselves, are all dependent on the presence and dedication of volunteers.

Thankfully, the Summer Games has about 900 such people signed up and ready to provide help for the Games - but, the Games will need between 1,500 and 2,000 volunteers to make every aspect of the event is covered adequately.

Weyburn has been entrusted to stage this major provincial event, so it's not just a few sporting events at the Comp track field, pool and Jubilee Park that will be taking place. There is also the cultural component of the Games, the entertainment that will go nightly, the Wheat Festival which will showcase the agricultural heritage of the Weyburn area.

This is a prime opportunity for all of us to excel in representing the city and area, and win a gold medal for exhibiting community pride and spirit. Obviously, volunteering requires a measure of commitment and dedication, and in the middle of summer, that's not always easy to do, with family summer holidays often the main focus for many people at this time of year.

The hard work and commitment will be worth it; when people see what great people live here, and what this city and area has to offer, the long-term benefits for Weyburn will only be good - so step up, folks, and let this city shine! - G.N.