The Olympic Torch Relay will be travelling through over 1,000 communities during its 106-day journey across Canada twice. That journey begins this Friday, October 30th in Victoria, BC and ends on February 12th, 2010 in Vancouver, BC. Over 200 community celebrations are being planned from coast-to-coast-to-coast. The Salvation Army sees this as an incredible opportunity to connect with and serve our communities. We want to be at the heart of the celebration.

Plans are already underway for our mobile canteens to be active in serving food and beverages at 12 community celebrations extending from Victoria, BC to London, ON, and this opportunity is being pursued in other communities. In some communities, brass ensembles will be lending their support to the Community Celebration as well. Some corps are planning special events and activities to coincide with the coming of the Torch.

Burin Arm, NF, and Spryfield Corps in Halifax, NS, will be holding 'mock' torch relays and mini-Olympic events. Charlottetown, NF, is not on the Relay Route, but the corps plans to transport community members to see the Torch in neighbouring Glovertown and then hold a Celebration Party back at Charlottetown afterwards. In Moncton, NB, the Correctional and Justice Services Kid's Club will be holding a special Olympics Day and will be helping with clean-up before and after the community's Torch Relay. The Toronto Harbourlight Moss Park program plans to hold their own Peace Games while the Torch is in the area.

In Winnipeg, MB the Heritage Park Corps will be organizing a community hockey tournament with a barbecue and bonfire and Southlands Corps will be creating a community ice rink that will be open from November 2009 to April 2010. (Even the -40 degree temperatures won't keep Winnipeggers from celebrating!) Drumheller Corps, AB will be kicking off a community floor hockey league with a tournament to be held when the Torch comes through town and the Corps in High River, AB is planning a Torch Relay party for their community.

Many other Salvation Army ministry units are still exploring opportunities for outreach during the Torch's visit. Everything will be supported by prayers of Salvationists from across Canada who will be participating in the Canada Ablaze prayer initiative.

If the Torch Relay is coming through your community, it's time to get creative and identify ways you can support the celebration that is being planned. What is God asking you to do? What blessings can your ministry unit bring to your community in His Name? Visit www.vancouver2010.com to learn about the Torch Relay route and schedule and download and print the Torch Relay Opportunities list available on this website. It offers some great suggestions, though you don't have to restrict your vision to them. It's not too late to plan to join in the celebration. Let's show our nation that the Church is relevant and that it cares about the things that matter to Canadians.

Sharon Tidd is The Salvation Army's Vancouver/Whistler 2010 Olympic Outreach Coordinator