Counting down to the 2012 Ontario Winter Games.
A 100 day out news conference was held on Tuesday at the Alpine Ski Club in the Blue Mountains.
The games — to be held March 8th to 11th — are being hosted by Collingwood as they were in 2006 and 2008.
But there will be 27 sports competitions at a number of venues in Collingwood, Wasaga Beach with kickboxing at the Rec Plex, Clearview Township, the Blue Mountains, Thornbury, Midland, Barrie and Base Borden.
The sports include bowling, air rifle shooting, skiing, biathlon, hockey, gymnastics, ringette, squash and curling including wheelchair curling and two other para sports.
About 2200 amateur athletes, some as young as 12, but most 14 to 18, will be coming to the area to take part in these competitions that will prepare them for Canada games and the Olympics. With their coaches and officials, there will be 35 hundred people coming to the area.
The games are expected to bring about 10 thousand spectators to the area and could pour as much as four or five million dollars into the local economy.
Sponsorship Chair with the 2012 Games Organizing Committee, Brian Saunderson, says it costs 1.2 million dollars to put on an event of this size and even though 600 thousand dollars is coming from the province, sponsorships are needed.
He adds volunteers are also a big part of this event and 800 to a thousand people are needed.
Volunteers and sponsors can get more information on the website www.ontario-winter-games.com
