Last Wednesday, February 5, Tourism Kelowna attended the Community Sport Hero Awards, hosted by PacificSport Okanagan and The City of Kelowna, to present the 2020 Sport Hosting Award. Alongside Mayor Colin Basran, we presented the Kelowna Skating Club (KSC) with this year’s honour.
KSC President, Kristine Sales (middle) accepting the Sport Hosting Award from Colin McGuinness (left) and Mayor Colin Basran (right).
From October 25- 27, 2019, Kelowna welcomed the world for the prestigious Skate Canada International event which is part of the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Series. The sellout event was truly international and a major driver of tourism and economic impact for Kelowna and the Province of British Columbia. Athletes from 14 countries were represented and supported by over 3,500 international fans.
KSC and its members were instrumental in the success of the event, providing hundreds of volunteer hours. Local skaters shared the ice with the world’s best professional skaters and showcased their talents during the opening ceremonies in front of thousands of fans. Skaters also served as sweepers after each performance, collecting hundreds of stuffed animals from the ice which were then donated to local community organizations.
Tourism Kelowna’s major event strategy is generating big results, and in 2019, Kelowna was named the leading mid-sized city for sport hosting in Canada. The success of sport hosting begins with the support of local sporting organizations, and thanks to KSC, Skate Canada International was an incredible win for our city. By supporting organizations and clubs in their efforts to attract, bid, and secure events, Tourism Kelowna continues to think big and enhance Kelowna’s profile as a premier sports destination.
For more information on this or other sport and events sales initiatives, please contact me at colin@tourismkelowna.com or at (250) 861-1515 ext. 209.
