Fairbanks to host 2014 Arctic Winter Games

FAIRBANKS — Fairbanks received word earlier than expected that the city will be host to the 23rd Arctic Winter games in 2014.

The announcement was made at Thursday night’s Fairbanks North Star Borough Assembly meeting, eliciting smiles all around.

“We were very pleased with the enthusiasm, organization and excellent planning that went into developing and presenting the Fairbanks bid to host the Games,” Gerry Thick, Arctic Winter Games International Committee president, stated in a press release. He lauded the efforts of both Fairbanks and North Pole.

Thick and AWG committee members were in Fairbanks a month ago to inspect Fairbanks’ cultural and sports facilities and discuss the bid submitted by the Fairbanks Organizing Committee.

The yearlong effort put together a strong bid for the games, a biennial celebration of sports and culture for northern and Arctic athletes, that was well-received by the AWG committee.

“They complimented us throughout their stay, and said we did and said all the right things,” said Jeff Jacobson, borough chief of staff and chair of the AWG organizing committee.

“This was an incredible community effort to put together the bid document and to the host international site selection committee,” Jacobson said. “Hundreds of volunteers and thousands of volunteer hours really made all the difference in showing that the community was behind wanting to host the 2014 Arctic Winter Games.”

The weeklong event is expected to draw more than 2,000 athletes, coaches and cultural delegations to Fairbanks. It is anticipated to be the same size or larger — in terms of the number of athletes — than the 2010 Winter Olympics held in Vancouver, B.C.

Started in 1970 in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, the Arctic Winter Games were held in Fairbanks in 1982 and 1988. Fairbanks lost a bid to Kenai for the 2006 games.

The Fairbanks AWG organizing committee will switch to a host society and will operate the 2014 games, Jacobson said.

Thick will travel from Whitehorse, Yukon, to Fairbanks for an official signing ceremony and community celebration to be held Feb. 23.

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