It's no secret that Westlock and the surrounding area has a wealth of volunteers, but the people who stepped up to take on the directors roles for the 2013 55 Plus Alberta Summer Games are definitely a special breed.
The Games are a full two years away still, and these dedicated individuals have made a two-year commitment that will undoubtedly involve more volunteer hours per month than some of us do in a year.
It's a formidable sacrifice they're making for the benefit of the region, as well as the province's 55-plus athletes, and they should be commended for their willingness to take on these roles.
The event will undoubtedly put the Westlock and Barrhead areas on the map, and bring in many visitors to this area.
The four municipal governments hosting this event - Westlock, Barrhead, Westlock County and County of Barrhead - should also be commended for coming together to bring this event to Westlock.
We have said before that the region would benefit from increased inter-municipal cooperation, and this is a shining example of what can happen when different organizations get together and push in the same direction.
For those who have less time to give than the directors, there are still plenty of opportunities to get involved.
Westlock CAO Darrell Garceau has said about 600 volunteers will be needed to host this event, and this is a tremendous opportunity for people to get involved in hosting one of the biggest events this region will have ever seen.
And as we rapidly approach the start of the 2011 55 Plus Alberta Summer Games, hosted in Fairview this weekend, we should also commend the many athletes from across the province who have been training tirelessly to take part.
It's no small feat at any age to take part in a province-wide athletic competition, and to see these many 55-plus athletes take part and prove that age is no obstacle to achieving your goals is inspiring to say the least.
Congratulations to the volunteers who have been selected as directors for the board, congratulations to the athletes who will take part, and congratulations to the four municipalities for coming together to win the right to host this event.
