Pan Am Torch Relay will run through Caledon

October 10, 2014 · 0 Comments

The Town of Caledon will be one of more than 130 communities to take part in 41-day journey of the 2015 Pan Am Games Torch Relay.
A full list of communities can be found on the TORONTO 2015 Torch Relay Route map.
“The TORONTO 2015 Pan Am Torch Relay is an invitation to the nation to join the journey, share the spirit and show community pride as we prepare to welcome the best to the biggest international multi-sport Games Canada has ever held,” said Saäd Rafi, chief executive officer of the TORONTO 2015 Pan Am/Parapan Am Games Organizing Committee (TO2015).
“Anyone aged 13 and up by May 30, 2015, can enter to be a torchbearer,” he added. “All they need is a sense of pride, an abundance of community spirit and an ability to inspire us with their joy.”
Three-thousand torchbearers will carry the flame and share the welcoming Pan Am spirit of the Games on its 41-day journey toward the lighting of the cauldron July 10 in the exciting conclusion of the Opening Ceremony in downtown Toronto.
Along with the public application process, which opened Oct. 1 and closes Dec. 1 at 11:59 p.m. (ET), torchbearers will also be chosen by torch relay route communities and other Games stakeholders.
To help kick off the search for torchbearers, TO2015 named its first honorary torchbearer this week: astronaut Chris Hadfield.
The relay begins in May 2015 with the traditional Aztec lighting ceremony at the Pyramid of the Sun in Teotihuacan, Mexico. The flame represents the history and spirit of the Games and is a potent symbol that unites the 41 Pan American Sports Organization (PASO) member nations.
The Canadian journey for the flame will start with its arrival in Toronto May 30, 2015. It will then travel to the five other Canadian cities and more than 130 Ontario communities.
Fifty-one of those Ontario communities, which will be hosting major torch relay celebrations that showcase their unique spirit, history and sporting pride, were highlighted at the announcement. This includes Caledon. The torch will wind its way through the town with many opportunities for residents to come and see the flame, show community spirit and participate in Games celebrations.
Torchbearers must be a Canadian citizen or legal resident of Canada and 13 years of age or older (as of May 30, 2015). For a complete list of criteria, visit www.TORONTO2015.org/torch-relay