It’s taken longer than expected for Medicine Hat to welcome Special Olympians from across the country, but organizers are promising that it will be worth the wait.

The southern Alberta city began preparing to host the 2022 games seven years ago, but the event was called off because of the uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Now, organizers are planning a celebration in early May to begin a 100-day countdown to the August games.

“It feels like something that we’ve been talking about forever, but now the time is quite literally flying by,” said Kara Brake, the event’s general manager, who worked on the initial bid in 2019 and immediately reapplied when the 2022 games were cancelled.

At the time, the bid was part of a program to promote the city and build experience in hosting larger events and bolstering “sports tourism” to the region.

It’s also been a labour of love for a large group of volunteers, said Brake, who wanted to tailor the games experience to the athletes’ wishes.

“Our goal is just to make sure that they have a great time while they’re here.”  

Community effort to host the nation

More than 1,500 competitors in 10 different sports will arrive in Medicine Hat for the Aug. 11-15 games.

That will require about 1,500 volunteers — in a city of 69,000 — to manage venues, oversee competitions, shuttle athletes around town and create a welcoming experience for them, coaches and spectators. 

The games have been held since the late 1960s to highlight the achievements of athletes with intellectual disabilities, according to Special Olympics Canada. The goal is to promote physical fitness, showcase skills and build camaraderie through competition.

In Medicine Hat, athletes are also involved in the planning process.

Local basketball, five-pin bowler and boccia player Gavin Harker has also competed in basketball at the provincial Special Olympics level. He didn’t qualify for the national event but is one of six local “athlete ambassadors” who promote the games locally and sit on an advisory board. 

WATCH | Ambassadors ready to great Special Olympics athletes to Medicine Hat:

They provide input on every facet of the event — from menus to logos — and even chose the event’s slogan: “We all shine together.”

Harker is looking forward to the games — friends on another local boccia team are competing — and said the prospect of hosting so many athletes is exciting. 

The ambassadors also offer inspiration, Brake said.

“When we get bogged down on tiny little details … they really come in and bring that energy.”

Making adjustments

The four-year delay in staging the event has led to some alterations to the original bid.  

Respect and safety-in-sport training is now mandatory for all volunteers: about 800 have completed the accreditation, while Brake is confident another 700 will step forward in these final months before the games.

More than 60 key volunteers are now finalizing plans for competitions, venues and accommodations.

A plan for a dormitory-style athletes village was changed to local hotel accommodation for travelling athletes. They will arrive by bus from Calgary, about 300 kilometres away. 

Inflation on food and fuel have pushed the original $2.5-million budget to about $3.8 million. Organizers have raised about half of that in private and corporate donations. A large part of the budget comes from government and national sponsors, too. The city is donating $300,000 in cash, plus the use of facilities.

Economic, emotional impact of hosting Special Olympians

While the immediate goal is to stage great games in four months, it’s a larger municipal priority to boost the economy by hosting major sport and tourism events.

Brake said a group of civic boosters is working to “reignite” drive in the city to host larger and different events. Medicine Hat’s Sport and Event Council helped to secure a Grand Slam curling event next fall and recently put the city in the running for a Memorial Cup junior hockey championship tournament.

Medicine Hat has hosted a substantial event, tournament or provincial-level games about every three to five years since the early 2000s, said Brake.

Current games chair Brian Varga also chaired the provincial level Summer Special Olympics in 2017, which Medicine Hat hosted and which gave locals the confidence to bid for the national games. 

Along with economic impact — estimated at $12 million for the coming games — Varga has often spoken about the emotional effect the Special Olympics can have on a host community.

“It always works at my heart,” he told CBC News. 

“It’s competitive, but it’s also a friendship that’s gained over this time, and I wish all sports could be done like that.”

Calgary hosted the 2024 Winter Special Olympics, which will next be held in Kelowna, B.C., in 2028. The site of the next summer event, in 2030, has not been announced.