The 36th annual Acadian Games officially kick off in Charlottetown, P.E.I. Saturday, bringing 1,100 ...

1. Charlottetown hosts 1,100 young athletes at Acadian Games
The 36th annual Acadian Games officially kick off in Charlottetown, P.E.I. Saturday, bringing 1,100
young athletes from across Atlantic Canada to compete in a variety of sports and events.
"I like that we get to play a sport that we really like, volleyball. We also get to meet a whole bunch of
new people that also talk in French and we get to make a lot of new friends and it's fun," P.E.I.
athlete Jessica Turbide said.
P.E.I. last hosted the Acadian Games 14 years ago, in the Evangeline region.
Hosting the games in Charlottetown, which is not a traditional francophone community, has
challenges. Organizers believed they needed 800 volunteers and they put the call out to anglophones
and francophones alike.

2. Acadian Games chairman Émile Gallant says they have enlisted 600 volunteers at event. (CBC)

3. "We're over 600 now. We're really, really happy," said Émile Gallant, chairman of the games.
"About four or five weeks ago, we put a cry for help with volunteers and the people of P.E.I.
answered."
Organizers say they still have volunteer jobs to fill, but they say they're confident they can do it from
their existing roster.
Martin Marcoux says helping out was important to him.
"Francophone community in Charlottetown, in P.E.I., it's rather small, so you need everybody's
involvement."
Constance Gilman, who has competed at the games seven times, will be P.E.I.'s torchbearer at
Saturday's opening ceremonies and is a volleyball coach.

4. "Speaking French is really important to me and I believe [the games] is one of the most important
reasons I haven't lost it yet."
Events will take place at University of Prince Edward Island and other venues around the city to
June 30.
The opening ceremonies start at 7:30 p.m. Saturday night at Eastlink Centre.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/prince-edward-island/acadian-games-start-this-weekend-in-charlotte
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