Firing up your computer and voting could help Coquitlam earn thousands of dollars for improving sports facilities.
The city was chosen as one of the Viewers' Choice Award nominees in the GamesTown2010 initiative, and according to Laurie Burton, it's now up to the public to vote to help the municipality make it into the final round.
Burton, who works as Coquitlam's recreation program coordinator at the leisure centre, said she's excited the community has made it this far, and is encouraging everyone to log on and vote for the city. However, she cautioned, voters must cast a vote in all population categories, not simply for Coquitlam in the 100,000-plus division.
"This is the time to tell people who visit for the Olympics how wonderful Coquitlam is," she noted. "[This contest] is just a way to promote ourselves."
The contest asks British Columbians to post comments, stories, photos and videos on the competition's website that will be judged on their creativity, enthusiasm, a variety of healthy living and environmental sustainability criteria, and the level of community engagement.
So far on Coquitlam's page, approximately 125 stories have been submitted by residents, and you can still send more in, added Burton.
Coquitlam is competing against Abbotsford, Kelowna, Richmond, Vancouver downtown, Burnaby, Kootenays, Saanich, Langley Township and Surrey.
Gold, silver and bronze medal winners will be selected, with cash awards of $100,000, $50,000 and $25,000, respectively. The top 10 finalists will be judged by a panel of B.C. celebrities, including Olympians Steve Podborski, Simon Whitfield, Nancy Green Raine, and CTV's Dr. Rhonda Low.
For more information, to submit a video, and to vote, visit www.gamestown2010.ca.
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