Minonk native Loren Smith was selected to be the General
Manager for the 2006 Arctic Winter Games to be held in the Kenai Peninsula
Borough, Alaska in March, 2006. Mr. Smith will be responsible for managing the planning, operation, development,
promotion, fund-raising, staging and post-Games activities of the 2006 Arctic Winter
Games and will also manage and be responsible for the supervision of all staff and
volunteers to ensure the success of the 2006 Games.
Mr. Smith will be based at the newly
opened 2006 Arctic Winter Games offices in the second floor of the Fire Training
Center in Kenai.
Kenai is south of Fairbanks about 600 miles and located in the best salmon
fishing area of Alaska...the Kenai River. Mr. Smith said that he will commute home to North Pole
(small town outside Fairbanks) by air at least once a month to spend three
day weekends with his wife Linda of 35 years. In the summer months Linda
will travel down to Kenai so that they can enjoy camping and fishing
activities. He said this is a big commitment to be away from home for 2 1/2 years
but over the last ten years they have adjusted to this life style.
Mr. Smith has been involved in some very impressive events. For the
2001 Special Olympics World Winter Games in Anchorage he was Director of
Operations and responsible for Transportation, Medical, Public Safety,
Logistics, Military Affairs, Radio Communications and Emergent Operations
Center. Over 2500 athletes from 80 countries attended this event. He was
Assistant Venue Transportation Manager at the Olympic Village for the Salt
Lake City Winter Olympics and was one of 6 Assistants who were responsible
for 500 15-passenger vans, 800 volunteers drivers who transported the
athletes from the Olympic Village to their competition venues. Mr. Smith said he was able to
see and visit with many of the athletes in the Olympic Village.
Mr. Smith said that he has had
many experiences and adventures over the past 30 years living in Alaska. Now comes
the 2006 Arctic Winter Games a biennial event of 20 sports, 2100
athletes from Russia, Canada, Greenland, Sami (athletes of northern
Laplanders from Finland, Sweden and Norway) and Alaska. He will have a staff
of 12 and 3000 volunteers to help organize these games. On February 24 he will
take 40 staff, Directors and committee members to the 2004 Games in Fort
McMurray. Alberta to observe and shadow their counterparts (see
www.awg2004.org).
Mr. Smith is the son of the late Roy and Florence Smith who farmed east of Minonk for many years. He
is a 1964 graduate of MDR. To read more about Mr. Smith's appointment,
click here.
Minonk native Loren Smith was selected to be the General
Manager for the 2006 Arctic Winter Games to be held in the Kenai Peninsula
Borough, Alaska in March, 2006. Mr. Smith will be responsible for managing the planning, operation, development,
promotion, fund-raising, staging and post-Games activities of the 2006 Arctic Winter
Games and will also manage and be responsible for the supervision of all staff and
volunteers to ensure the success of the 2006 Games.
Mr. Smith will be based at the newly
opened 2006 Arctic Winter Games offices in the second floor of the Fire Training
Center in Kenai.