OSOYOOS TIMES-January 27, 2010

From Tony Batista’s heart-string-tugging address to the crowd after lighting the Olympic cauldron, to Tom Shields’ spirited hosting performance, to Olympic gold-medal winning snowboarder Ross Rebagliati’s skateboarding adventure up Hwy. 97 with the Torch, Osoyoos’s Olympic Torch Relay celebration was an awesome experience.
It almost seems like a little bit of serendipity was in the air since, on this same week 22 years ago, Osoyoos welcomed the Olympic Torch as it made its way towards the 1988 Calgary Winter Games.
The energy and enthusiasm in the crowd at Gyro Park never waned on Sunday night during a pitch-perfect celebration where the community’s talent shined.
It has to be handed to VANOC, they know how to put on a show.
The following morning, one could feel the crowd’s admiration and respect for the pride and dignity shown by the Osoyoos Indian Band as their leader held the Torch beneath the iconic horse and rider sculpture at Spirit Ridge.
It was also good to see that at least two people had  the courage to attend Sunday’s celebration to raise awareness about some of the social issues this province faces, namely homelessness, while British Columbia’s attention is focused on hosting the Olympics.
If you’re wondering how much Osoyoos’s Torch Relay celebration cost, here’s the breakdown:
The entire budget for the party was $39,350.
Of that, $2,500 was paid by the Town, while the province paid $22,000 and a heritage grant kicked in $15,000.
The biggest chunk of that money went to “Big Belly Garbage Receptacles.”
There are two of these units, each consisting of a solar-powered trash compactor, and they will be remaining in the community after the relay is long gone.
These cost $10,600.
Next on the list were the end-of-the-evening fireworks set off by Osoyoos’s Frank Zandvliet.
They cost $8,000.
The amount spent on entertainment during the celebration was also $8,000.
Banners, signs and posters came to a total of $6,800; $2,700 was spent on promotional bags; advertising came in at $1,200 and food and concession costs totalled $1,000.
Candles handed out during the celebration cost $550.
That leaves a leftover of $500, spent on “other.”
It seems a little odd that our biggest expenditure was on garbage cans, but since local organizers say they’ll be staying in the community, it’s somewhat of a good investment.
It’s too bad the local organizing committee couldn’t have gotten more detailed and timely information out about the celebrations ahead of time.
But overall, this community should be proud of its reception of the Torch and its bearers.
We definitely know how to have a great party.