TORONTO 2015 Pan Am Games Torch Relay Celebrates in Parry Sound and Simcoe County on June 10

Pan Am flame carried by Paralympic sledge hockey player Adam Dixon and Olympic mountain biker Emily Batty ahead of the evening celebration at Barrie City Hall

TORONTO, June 10, 2015 /CNW/ - Olympians, Paralympians and the Huron-Wendat Nation played prominent roles on Wednesday, June 10, Day 12 of the Pan Am Games Torch Relay, presented by President's Choice® and OLG, as the Pan Am flame visited Parry Sound, Waubaushene, Victoria Harbour, Port McNicoll, Midland, Penetanguishene, Oro-Medonte and Barrie.

The relay day began at Victory Public School in Parry Sound, where PACHI, the official mascot of the Games, entertained students with his signature dance — the wiggle — before torchbearer Rori Brownley carried the flame into the streets of Parry Sound. Later, in Tay Township, the flame visited Waubaushene Elementary School, Victoria Harbour Elementary School and Port McNicoll Public School.

In the afternoon, the Pan Am flame arrived at Sainte-Marie among the Hurons, the site of the first European settlement in Ontario. The historic village and ancestral homeland of the Huron-Wendat Nation paid tribute to the rich and diverse history of the region as well as the traditions of the Pan American Games with a community celebration.

Not far away, the community celebration at Midland's North Simcoe Sports and Recreation Centre greeted the flame and torchbearer Adam Dixon, a medal-winning Paralympic sledge hockey player.  Dixon competed in the Vancouver 2010 and Sochi 2014 Paralympic Winter Games and was inducted into the Midland Sports Hall of Fame in 2014.

From Midland, the flame hurried hard through Penetanguishene where four-time Canadian and world-champion curler Glenn Howard of the Penetanguishene Curling Club was one of the torchbearers.

In the late afternoon in Oro-Medonte, the flame — with a lot of help from Olympic cyclist Emily Batty — rode the mountain bike trails of Hardwood Mountain Bike Park, the TORONTO 2015 venue for mountain biking events.

To conclude the day, torchbearers delivered the Pan Am flame to Barrie City Hall for a community celebration where torchbearer Meghan Carlisle lit the community cauldron. Carlisle is an Ontario Special Olympics swim coach, a recipient of the Lieutenant Governor's award for outstanding community service and a City of Barrie torchbearer selection for the Pan Am Games Torch Relay.

The Pan Am flame will continue its journey tomorrow when it visits Innisfil, Canadian Forces Base Borden, Stayner, Collingwood, Meaford and Owen 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 12 highlight images and videos are available on Flickr by copying and pasting this URL. into a web browser: https://www.flickr.com/gp/133157263@N06/21sk3s.

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

Lindsay Hamilton, Coordinator, marketing and communications, TO2015, 416.697.1318, [email protected]