Q 1. What are the prizes?

• Three winning communities will each receive one of three Grand Prizes of cash awards, to be put towards upgrading a local sport or healthy living facility.
• The gold medal prize is $100,000, the silver medal prize is $50,000 and the bronze medal prize is $25,000.
• All winners will receive additional prizes in recognition of their achievement, including tickets to the 2010 Winter Games and an official GamesTown 2010 plaque for their community.
• In each of March, April and May 2009, 16 participating communities will be awarded monthly prizes to use as incentives and prizes to encourage their residents to take part in the contest.
• These prizes include tickets to the 2010 Winter Games, ActNow BC prize packs, Winter Games Collateral Prize Packs and visits from an Olympic or Paralympic Athlete.

Q 2. Why should my community participate?

• This is a chance for each community in British Columbia to embrace the Olympic spirit and get people excited about the province hosting the 2010 Winter Games.
• British Columbia has set the goal of being the healthiest jurisdiction to ever host an Olympic and Paralympic Games. Having every community, district and First Nations community in B.C. involved in GamesTown 2010 will help achieve that goal.
• Registered communities are also automatically entered into a monthly draws (held in March, April and May 2009) to win prizes including a visit from an Olympic or Paralympic athlete and tickets to the 2010 Winter Games for the community to use as tools to promote GamesTown in their area.

Q 3. Who can participate?

• Anyone living in B.C. can contribute to their community’s (or any other eligible community’s) GamesTown 2010 submission.
• To contribute, you must either be over the age of 19 or have the permission of your parent or guardian.

Q 4. What communities are eligible?

• Every community and First Nations group in the province of British Columbia is included in the eligible communities list.

Q 5. When is GamesTown 2010 happening?

• The Contest Period runs February 23 to October 31 and is when everyone can go online and enter their community by submitting their stories, videos, audio and pictures to show why their community should win. Communities must have at least one entry by the end of the Contest Period to continue through to Viewers’ Choice Voting.
  
• The Viewer’s Choice Voting Period runs November 1, 2009 to January 4, 2010 when the top 10 communities will be identified. During this period, everyone in B.C. can vote for their favourite in each of the five community categories: communities up to 5,000 people; 5,001-10,000 people; 10,001-25,000; 25,001-100,000; and over 100,000. You are only eligible to submit your vote once (one vote with five selections: for each of the population categories). Communities that make it in to the Viewers’ Choice Period (at least one entry by Oct 31st) can continue to submit entries to support their nomination.
• The top two communities in each category will comprise the final 10. From that top 10, a panel of B.C. celebrity judges will choose the gold, silver and bronze medal GamesTown 2010 winners.
  
• The Final Judging and Winner Selections will take place from January 5-18, 2010. Community entries received by Jan 7th for the Top 10 finalists will be included in the judges’ decision on the winners.
• The three Grand Prize winning communities will be notified by January 31, 2010.
  

Q 6. When will the winners of GamesTown 2010 be announced?

• The winners will be announced in early 2010 and the awards will be presented prior to the Opening Ceremonies of the 2010 Winter Games in February.

Q 7. Who will choose the winner?

• During the Viewer’s Choice period, everyone in B.C. can vote once for their favourite in each of the five community categories: communities up to 5,000 people; 5,001-10,000 people; 10,001-25,000; 25,001-100,000; and over 100,000. The top two communities in each category will comprise the final 10.
• The Top 10 communities will move into the Final Competition where a celebrity panel will choose the final winners.

Q 8. What will the selection of the three winners be based on?

• Entries will be considered based on a combination of the factual healthy living and sport information that is submitted, the level of enthusiasm and participation demonstrated by the community, and the creativity of the content.
• We realize every community is unique and will have different stories to tell.
• Production quality of submissions is not a factor. Content, enthusiasm, creativity, and commitment to healthy living in the community will frame the basis for becoming the official GamesTown 2010.

Q 9. How can I get my community involved?

• Anyone can sign up their community simply by going online at www.GamesTown2010.ca
• Once your community is signed up, it will have a unique website address that you can give to members of your community.
• You are encouraged to promote your GamesTown 2010 profile online. Throughout the contest, we will be adding tools to the site to help you with promotion.

Q 10. What are some ideas of ways I can engage my community?

• Posters: With permission, you can put your posters anywhere around your community, including store front windows, retail counters and other visible, high traffic locations.
• Stickers: Stickers can be put on binders or used as bumper stickers. Please do not put posters or stickers in public places without permission.
• Newspaper ads: Send newspaper ads to your local paper along with a request for publication. What better way to get the word out about your GamesTown2010 Community profile?
• Internet: Be creative. Create a Facebook group and get your community involved or spread the word through your e-mail network.

Q 11. What kind of entries can be submitted?

• The more submissions from your community, the better information the judges will have to make their decision on a winner.
• People are encouraged to submit photographs, videos, essays, letters, interviews, and illustrations or drawings by the people in your community that tell the story of how your community supports the 2010 Winter Games and healthy living.

Q 12. What are some examples of the kinds of initiatives that would be considered?

• We want to hear and see what you are doing in your community in support of healthy living and hosting the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.
• Games-related initiatives may include participation in one year countdown activities, spirit community activities or even school projects teaching kids about the Games or Olympians.
• Healthy living-related initiatives may include: the level of community activity at recreation centers, in community and school sports; the range and type of community programs for healthy living; participation in World Healthy Living Challenge; environmental sustainability activity at community level; and the creativity of multi-media submissions.
• Other examples could include an innovative nutrition program in your elementary school, a boot camp program for seniors or a leadership program for the certification of Aboriginal youth in aquatics.

Q 13. What is an environmental sustainability activity and why is it important?

• Environmental sustainability has been one of the key pillars of the Olympic and Paralympic Games for many years.
• Keeping our environment clean and safe is an important way to help British Columbians lead healthy lives.
• Communities that think about environmental consequences and create sustainable programs such as composting, recycling, walking programs and more, are helping to make B.C. healthier.
• Find out more about what environmental sustainability means to you and your community.

Q 14. Who can enter on behalf of a community?

• To enter, you must live in B.C. and either be over 19 years of age or have the permission of your parent or guardian.
• Once the community is entered, the relevant elected official government leaders will be notified of their community’s registration.

Q 15. How do I enter my community?

• Visit www.GamesTown2010.ca and search for your community. Then simply add your stories, photos and videos and your community will be entered!

Q 16. I cannot find my community. How do I add it?

• If you can’t find your community, e-mail GamesTown 2010 and your community will be added to the list of potential GamesTown 2010 communities for you to add your stories, photos, and videos.
• However, anyone is free to support the efforts of any community in B.C.that they would like to.

Q 17. Do we have to identify the improvement that our community would fund with the winnings at the time of registration?

• No. Communities do not have to identify their improvement project in order to enter the contest.

Q 18. Who decides what the improvement project will be if my community wins?

• It will be up to the community’s official governing body to decide how the funds are applied in their community.
• The funds must be used to directly support the improvement of a community facility that is dedicated to supporting sport, fitness or healthy living.

Q 19. What are some examples of eligible improvement projects?

• Examples of facilities that would be eligible for this funding include: local walking trails to encourage biking and pedestrian use; recreation center facilities such as swimming pools, gyms, and ice rinks; outdoor playground improvements; community composting facilities; and many more.

Q 20. Can the money be split up to fund a variety of healthy-living projects?

• No. The money must go to one eligible project.

Q 21. Is there a limit to the number of submissions my community can have on the site?

• There is no limit. In fact, we encourage your entire community to get involved by submitting as many photos and stories as they like.
• While the volume of submitted materials in support of each community is up to the individual community, a larger volume of submissions may improve the chances of winning.

Q 22. What video file formats are you accepting?

• We will be accepting YouTube videos that you can attach to your entry.
• Visit www.GamesTown2010.ca to learn more about how you can embed your video.

Q 23. Is there a limit on the number of files I can add to the site?

• You are limited up to three photos and one video per submission. However, there are no limits to the number of submissions you can create.
• If you have more than one story and three photos or one video that you want to add, simply create another submission; but please note that each submission must be original.