Volleyball athletes from across Ontario traveled to Kenora this week for the 2019 Girls 'A' Volleyball OFSAA Championships. In honour of welcoming all of the athletes and their families the town has gone red.
"One of the unique things about hosting an event of this caliber in our small city is the amount of community support," said head coach of the girls volleyball team, Megan Derouard. "We ran a 'Paint the Town Red' campaign where businesses and community partners jumped on board to display our swag in their windows o welcome the athletes and visitors to the community and to encourage them to watch the events. The outpouring of community support and the welcoming to our visitors was a positive reflection on our community spirit and school pride."
Posters, jerseys, athlete photos, table talkers and banners were handed out to businesses to put in their windows and on their tables. Driving in downtown Kenora through the sea of red, it was clear the community was ready for OFSAA. Derouard adds that the community spirit did not stop with the decorations.
"The committee received numerous appreciative comments from athletes, coaches and families about how welcoming everyone was and how much they enjoyed visiting the north for the first time," she said.
The OFSAA event also included a brand new Sport Court volleyball court at the Kenora Sportsplex. Through community donations, St. Thomas Aquinas was able to rent the special flooring to set up two courts at the Sportsplex.
The Saints girls bowed out of the OFSAA Championships in the quarterfinals falling to the undefeated Smithville Christian High Storm 3-1.