The Little Town That Could
Posted on August 7, 2018 under Storytelling with 4 comments
Team Manitoba appreciated Antigonish. Very classy.
“I think I can. I think I can. I think I can.”
The Little Engine That Could. Platt and Munk
Most of us are familiar with these lines from that wonderful childhood story. The Little Engine That Could teaches children the value of optimism and hard work. But the lesson is not restricted to children. Very often, individuals and communities never stretch the boundaries for what is possible.
But some are willing to take risks and the rewards can last a long time.
It is a testament to Antigonish Town and County and St.F.X University that the head honchos at Special Olympics Canada made the bold decision to have a small town host their national competition. And not just any competition. 2018 represents the 50th anniversary of the first Special Olympics held in Canada.
True. Antigonish has hosted national competitions before but not on such a large scale with so many athletes and so many different sports. It is a testament to the leadership of the three partners (Town/County/St.F.X.) that first rate infrastructure made these games even possible. You can’t host big time events without proper facilities. None of us should lose sight that individual donors and all levels of government over the years helped put these facilities in place.
There’s always a high risk of naming names when passing out kudos but I don’t think anyone could argue that the leadership of Carl “Val” Chisholm and Marc Champoux was instrumental. Both are successful business people, community leaders and guys who know a thing or two about sports. They put together a superb cast of characters on the Games Organizing committee. They surrounded themselves with “can do” people.
Much has been said about the volunteer effort. Over 1200 people from Antigonish and beyond rolled up their sleeves and did what needed to be done. No task was too menial and no call for help went unanswered. I know of one person who used a week of his vacation to volunteer and gave 14 hours each and every day. Working people helped when their schedules permitted. Young and old from every walk of life pitched in. It was thrilling to see Coady students get involved. Their spirit was infectious.
Antigonish is known as a hotbed for music, art and culture and all three were in abundance especially during the opening and closing ceremonies where we showed Canada who we are and what makes us tick.
From all accounts, Antigonish delivered the goods. The games went off without a hitch and the comments from athletes, coaches and family members who traveled to Nova Scotia affirmed this. People raved about the hospitality shown at the venues and everywhere they went in the community.
Antigonish climbed the mountain knowing that it was possible for a small town to host a national competition. It reached the top of the hill.
“I (we) thought I could. I thought I could. I thought I could.”
Comments
4 Responses to The Little Town That Could