Olympic torch party tonight - how exciting!

Mattsmom277

Active Member
The Olympic torch relay is criss crossing the country before arriving in Vancouver in February. It is passing through our city tonight. There is a huge outdoor (brrrr!! it's sooo cold!) party thrown by the city tonight. There will be a traditional Aboriginal welcome and blessing ceremony, many musical performances. The boy bringing the torch on the leg that will bring it to the stage is a 13 year old special needs student at my difficult child's school. I bet he's awake this early already, full of butterflies and excitement. He will use his torch to light a big Olympic cauldron like the ones you see on tv at the Olympics. The evening will wrap up with a large fireworks display. It will last in total about 2 hours. earlier in the afternoon there is a meet and greet for former Olympians from our area. I plan to take easy child so she can have her picture taken with some former Olympic women's hockey players since easy child is such a hockey buff and is in her 5th season although she is only 10. She'll be so excited. One person who goes to the meet and greet will win their own official Olympic torch to keep. Whoever wins will be so excited I'm sure.

Sounds like a terrific early new years eve party to me!!!! I am sure I'll regret it all in one sense because it is afterall northern Canada in deep winter lol. But luckily the temperature is rising throughout today, instead of the usual lowering temperatures. Hopefully that, plus the large crown, will brace the wind a bit blowing off the lake so I don't come home permanently damaged lol. This wont' likely happen here again, an Olympic thing, during our lifetime, so its all feeling quite exciting :)
 

skeeter

New Member
a family friend got to carry the torch for a mile back when the summer Olympics were in LA and the run came through our town. All those that carry can purchase a replica torch. That thing is HUGE and heavy!
 

Mattsmom277

Active Member
That must have been a terrific feeling, carrying the torch!

I had read that participants can purchase a torch to keep. I'd think that would be quite a conversation piece!!

Only a few more hours, looking forward to it. And our weather cooperated. Warmed from -22 Celcius this morning to -5 right now and expected to warm to maybe -3. Unheard of practically at this time of year. At least I won't be numb when it is all said and done.
 

everywoman

Well-Known Member
One of my former students is an Olympian. In fact, his birthday is the same as mine, so I just spoke to him online today. He won a gold in the 4 X 4 relay in 1996 where he ran the last leg of the race. It was such an exciting time for my small town... Have a good time tonight.
 

mstang67chic

Going Green
There was something like that here the last time a winter olympics was in the States. My friend and I took her kids and difficult child and had a ball even though we froze our tushies off. The park the party was held had a couple of large tents set up with heaters so there were some warm areas but it was still a frigid night. The crowd helped some but more as a wind block as the whole thing was out in the open. We got to hold one of the torches and skeeter is right. It's amazing how heavy they are!

I want to go to Vancouver so bad for this! LOL I was there last summer and want to go back anyway but especially for this.
 

Mattsmom277

Active Member
Was a pretty neat evening, but we did freeze our hiney's. I had to leave before the closing fireworks. I just couldn't stand there anymore. I had no feeling left in my feet and when getting into a taxi I realized my back and legs were spasming (MS thing, yuck!).

But it was worth it. We got to bring easy child to meet some Olympian's from here, a few I've known before last night. She had some pictures taken with them and later on she had her picture taken holding a torch beside one of the torch bearers, which she thought was pretty exciting.

The show put on before the torch arrived was pretty good. Some aboriginal drummers and singing to start off with a blessing. It was quite eerily beautiful hearing the native woman singing in a language none of us understood. Her voice carried over the lake and across the wind while her husband drummed along with her. Her son (maybe 7) sang with her as well. It was a great way to start things off. There was some unique entertainment. Drummers, dancers, acrobats, gymnasts and arielists. Some local choirs. easy child's best friend (a boy in her class) was in one of the singing groups so she was all wound up to see him. We had standing places right at the stage so a perfect view and great spot to take tons of pictures.

The boy who brought the flame to light the cauldron on stage was a 13 year old from difficult child's school. He is autistic and looked quite excited but at the same time, stunned by all of the hype and applause and kids screaming his name to cheer him on lol. It was cute, although something tells me it was mind boggling for him. I hope he remembers all the people yelling encouragement and clapping for him. It was an amazing moment for him. His mother was across from me and beaming through a steady pouring of tears. Quite the moment for her too I'm sure :)

All in all, it was worth the pain I'm in today and the fact that it took over 3 hours under a heated blanket to warm up once we got home. We probably will never see something like that again, so it was a nice way to end the year :)
 
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