Rosthern

Unifying Emotions of Patriotism in Rosthern

By Charlotte Janzen

January 11, 2010 was the day the Olympic flame finally came through Rosthern. When we heard the Olympic flame would be coming, everyone on the town council as well as many volunteers helped to organize an afternoon filled with activities for everyone.

Rosthern High School students organized the “Olympic Village” at the Jubilee Sports Center. They set up banner making, free hot chocolate, a curling rock shoot and face painting for anyone who wanted to show their pride in Canada and the Olympics. There were also many relay races. Main Street relays involved toboggans, some shopping carts, spinning around really fast and trying not to drop an egg on the way to the finish line. Street hockey was set up in three different locations: one by the arena, for grades 6-8, and two downtown, for grades 9-12 and adults.

Just in time for the Olympic flame to come through, we made room for the runners and the parade of vehicles that got everyone excited. We all watched in anticipation to see, for maybe the first and last time in many of our lives, something this symbolic going through Rosthern. Many of us felt excited, and proud. It felt surreal that this was happening. We came together, worked together, played together, sang “O Canada” together and felt the unifying emotions of patriotism for our country, pride for our hometown and a sense of community that we will be able to cherish, all together.