EDITOR,
Re: Ben Lypka’s article on the Squamish Youth Triathlon (“LNG race sponsorship sparks protest,” May 15).
I am extremely disappointed with this article, along with the front page photo of a participant tattooed with anti-LNG materials.
I attended this event as both a proud parent, and as a volunteer. I saw over 200 local children run, swim, and bike under sunny skies with their friends and families cheering them on.
I saw over 70 volunteers got up at 7 a.m. on a Sunday morning to support and encourage the children, and an organizing committee that have put in months of hard work to facilitate this event.
I saw a celebration of the effort, dedication and hard work that these children put in. They were all winners, and I am so proud of them all.
This Squamish Chief article hardly reflects the accomplishments of our children, and has reduced this community event into a political platform.
The parents who used this event to express their political views have not chosen the proper venue, and have detracted from the positive experience this annual event provides for our community. If the children were expressing their own, well-thought-out, informed opinion, they also need to learn that contact with their MLA, MP or local council would have been a better choice.
I would like to also add for the few parents who choose to boycott at the last minute: Are you aware there were many disappointed children left on the wait list of this sold-out event?
I have participated as a parent and a volunteer for this event for many years. Each year there are fewer of us, and in fact this year I participated as the sponsorship coordinator, media coordinator, volunteer coordinator, and run coordinator, due to lack of volunteers.
For those parents who would like to complain further, perhaps you could consider joining the organizing committee, which after the May 15, 2014 edition of The Chief newspaper, has even more vacant positions.
Carole O’Brennan
Squamish
