Pan Am flame visits Henry Street High School in Whitby, daytime celebration at the Brooklin Community Centre and Library and evening celebration at Couchiching Beach Park in Orillia
TORONTO, June 8, 2015 /CNW/ - The first Canadian to medal in Pan Am Games boxing and the 2014 Canadian Special Olympics Male Athlete of the Year were two of the torchbearers on Day 10 of the Pan Am Games Torch Relay, presented by President's Choice® and OLG, as the Pan Am flame visited several communities in Durham Region, including Whitby, Brooklin, Port Perry, Uxbridge and Beaverton, before arriving in Orillia.
The flame began its day at Henry Street High School, where PACHI, the official mascot of the Games, entertained students and torchbearers while testing their Pan Am Games knowledge. Kyle Owens, a student from the school, then carried the flame into the streets of Whitby for the first relay leg of the day.
The Pan Am flame then travelled to a community celebration at the Brooklin Community Centre and Library where it was met by members of the local community and students from Meadowcrest Public School. Whitby community torchbearer Kiana Bonnick, a TORONTO 2015 Pan Am/Parapan Am Games Organizing Committee (TO2015) Youth Advisory Council member, arrived with the Pan Am flame to begin the celebration, and Amanda Murray departed with the flame on to the next leg of its journey.
In the afternoon, the flame travelled through Port Perry, pausing for photos with 74-year-old community torchbearer and retired teacher Gary Edgar at the picturesque Palmer Park.
At Uxbridge Town Hall, the Air Force Mavericks cheerleading team entertained residents and greeted the flame. Darryl Picov, a local volunteer and sports enthusiast, represented Uxbridge as the community torchbearer at the celebration. The flame's next stop was its final one in Durham Region as it visited Beaverton Town Hall where Tyson Richard, a local high school student, represented the town as community torchbearer.
The day concluded in Orillia at the Leacock Museum where the flame took a ride on a locally built vintage Tudhope automobile with torchbearer Stephen Graham. Graham represented Canada in speed skating at the Special Olympics World Winter Games in 2009 and 2013 and was the Canadian and Ontario Special Olympics Male Athlete of the Year for 2014 as well as Orillia's Athlete of the Year for 2014.
The evening celebration was held at Couchiching Beach Park where Walter Henry served as the community torchbearer and lit the community cauldron. Henry was the first Canadian boxer ever to medal at a Pan American Games when he won bronze at the 1967 Games in Winnipeg. The celebration also included a performance by Canadian country music artist Crystal Shawanda.
The flames journey continues tomorrow in Orillia before travelling to Gravenhurst, Bracebridge and Parry Sound.
Media Materials
The following torch relay items are available at TORONTO2015.org/torch-relay: relay route map, full list of communities and dates, daily highlight summaries and media vehicle registration information.
All torch relay media advisories and news releases are available on CNW. Day 10 highlight images and videos are available on Flickr by copying and pasting this URL into a web browser: https://www.flickr.com/gp/133157263@N06/41A7b1.
The torch relay can also be followed on Twitter.
About the TORONTO 2015 Pan Am Games Torch Relay
The TORONTO 2015 Pan Am Games Torch Relay, presented by President's Choice® and OLG, is supported by community partner CIBC, signature supporters Star Media Group and Metroland Media, Ontario Trillium Foundation and Porter Airlines, and funding parties the Government of Canada and the Province of Ontario. The torch relay will invite Canadians to celebrate and share the Pan Am spirit throughout its 41-day journey towards Toronto, the Host City of the Games.
The torch relay starts May 30, 2015, and concludes July 10, 2015, with the dramatic lighting of the cauldron at the Opening Ceremony in downtown Toronto.
The TORONTO 2015 Games are funded by the Government of Canada, the Province of Ontario, as well as Lead Partner CIBC and other partners and sponsors.
To learn more about the torch relay and when the Pan Am flame will visit a community near you, visit TORONTO2015.org/torch-relay or download the official TORONTO 2015 Pan Am/Parapan Am Games app, presented by CIBC.
About the TORONTO 2015 Pan Am Games ticket program
Great tickets to the Pan Am Games are still available, but gold-medal sessions are selling quickly!
The TORONTO 2015 Pan Am Games ticket program is designed to be affordable and accessible for everyone by offering:
Integrated tickets: Every event ticket will allow the holder to access transit on the day of the event.
Affordable pricing: Tickets start at just $20, with 75 per cent of tickets priced $45 and under.
Half-price tickets for persons under 16 years of age, or 65 and over: Tickets will be offered at a 50 per cent discount — some will start at $10. The number of discounted tickets is limited, so buy early.
Tickets for Parapan Am sporting events will range from $20 to $35 for adults, with a youth (under 16) and senior (65+) discount from $10 to $12.50 available, depending on the event. The number of discounted tickets is limited, so don't delay.
Easy options for buying: Tickets can be purchased online at TORONTO2015.org/tickets or at 1.855.726.2015 and internationally at 1.949.333.4824.
SOURCE Toronto 2015 Pan/Parapan American Games
please contact: Lindsay Hamilton, Coordinator, marketing and communications, TO2015, 416.697.1318, [email protected]
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