By Cybele Negris

Last week we ran a poll at MetroBlenzNewsSquad.com and at BlenzCommunity.com "Who do you think is Canada’s star of the 2010 Winter Games?" and the results are in!

The people have spoken and the most popular choices are in the following order (#1 being most popular):

Sidney Crosby voted as top Canadian star (photo by S. Yume licensed under the Creative Commons)

1. Sidney Crosby – scores winning goal in men’s hockey giving Canada the most gold medals in history of Winter Games
2. Joannie Rochette – wins bronze days after her mother’s death
3. Maelle Ricker -  1^st woman to win gold
4. Alexandre Bilodeau -  1^st to win gold on home soil

People were also given the opportunity to pick their own favorites. Another popular choice included Tessa Virtue who secured a gold medal finish in ice dancing with her partner Scott Moir. Other notables included Jasey Jay Anderson who won gold at the men’s parallel giant slalom event, the Women's Hockey team for their on ice celebrations (described by one poll taker as "so very Canadian") and even Olympic Mascot Mukmuk!

I'm not surprised Sidney Crosby was first choice given Canada's love-affair with hockey. Personally, I thought it was really tough to pick one star. The Canadian athletes together were phenomenal and really demonstrated great sportsmanship and of course huge success.

Here is a comprehensive recap of all the medalists from the 2010 Olympics from all countries: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_2010_Winter_Olympics_medal_winners

One could argue though that the real star was Canadians as a whole who rallied together in never-seen-before national pride. I can still hear the chants in my head... "Go Canada Go!..."

Cybele Negris is Co-Founder of Webnames.ca, Canada’s Original Domain Registrar. She is on the Boards of the Forum for Women Entrepreneurs, Small Business BC, Government of BC Small Business Roundtable and the Vancouver Economic Development Commission. More information is available at cybele.tel or webnames.tel. Follow on Twitter @cybelenegris and @webnames

Posted by:George Moen

Below is a section of an E-Mail that I wrote the day after Maëlle Ricker won her Gold Medal for the SBX on Feb 16th 2010. As one of her sponsors, we at Blenz Coffee were under very specific VANOC guidelines regarding any discussions and promotions regarding an Olympian, so we felt it was in Maëlle's best interest to wait to post this for the world to see. Now that we have passed that date, we can share some of our thoughts and excitement around Maëlle's great accomplishment.

March is Maëlle Ricker Month around the Blenz World. We have re-introduced the Maëlle Ricker Cup and we want to share with you a really cool online Map we have posted with comments about Maëlle and well about being Canadian. Check out:

http://www.blenzevents.com/canada/

Here is a piece of an E-Mail I wrote to the Blogging Team I am working withat Metro Blenz News Squad. (I will post about this great group of folks later).

My Personal Thoughts About Maëlle Ricker and Winning Gold:

"Yesterday started very early, and we worked our way to Cypress thru the pouring rain to watch the Ladies' Snowboard Cross event - we were one of Maëlle Ricker's main corporate sponsors. Imagine 4000 people huddling under cover made for 100, but we did and we were able to fight off the contenders until the rain stopped. At one point we called it Survivor Cypress! But we were a tough group and we made the cut. Between the rain and the fog, there were many delays, but we sure learned how Snowboard Cross really works.

We were up on the mountain with Adam & Kev, Maëlle's official photogra- phers, and they did get some amazing shots, but I had to keep an eye on them - they were so hyped, I thought they were going to stroke out.

What you don't get from TV is the drama. Maëlle fell on her first quali- fication run. You don't just get the one shot, though! Her second quail- fication run did the trick. Then she had to go thru heats after she made the cut. So we came down to the final race, and Maëlle grabbed the early lead. It was funny - time just stopped and I had a 1 min 25 second "Zen moment". (That's the length of a fast race.) I was glued to the big screen following Maëlle, and I kept repeating "Don't Fall - you have the Gold." She crossed first, then we all lost it, celebrating with High-5's and Oh, Canada, and then came the realization that Maëlle had become the first Canadian woman to win gold on Canadian soil, and she will always have that.

When you sponsor an athlete, particularly one with Olympic aspirations, you first consider the business aspects - how is it good for the Brand?
Then you work thru the rationalization of the investment. Then you really learn what it is all about. Alexandre Bilodeau, when interviewed after his gold medal win, said "no Olympian gets there on their own". It takes a team to do great things.

At that point it became clear to me. We participate because we should when it comes to this type of program. Great things take great teams - like what we are doing on Metro Blenz News. This project is off to an amazing start.
We have the Gold when it comes to Social Media. We at the MBNS are really capturing and telling the story in a way the world has never seen before. Real People, Raw and Relevant. (Thanks, Ms B.)

Thank you, Maëlle, for taking us on your Golden journey. It is one memory that I will never forget..."Whatta Ride!"

George!

One of the most festive holidays in the Jewish calendar, Purim is a way to remember an event that took place more than 2,000 years ago in ancient Persia.

As the story goes, Haman, a king’s minister issued an order to eliminate all Jewish people. The queen at this time, Esther, was Jewish, but the king was not aware of this. Mordechai, the leader of the Jewish people, went to the queen for help. Queen Ester went to speak to the king. This was dangerous to do because anyone who came into the king's presence without being summoned could be put to death, and she had not been summoned. To prepare herself, Esther fasted for three days. The king welcomed her. She told him of Haman's plot against her people. The Jewish people were saved, and Haman was hanged on gallows that had been prepared for Mordecai.

Over 200 Jewish Richmondites came to River Rock to hear the Megillah (Book of Ester) read aloud; make lots of noise (boo and hiss every time Haman’s name is read); and celebrate Purim in the comfort of Richmond River Rock Show Room Theatre. Other festivities included putting on Tefillin (phylacteries, a set of small cubic leather boxes painted black, containing scrolls of parchment inscribed with verses from the Torah with leather straps dyed black on one side, and worn by observant Jewish men); eating well prepared food; arts and crafts for kids; singing and dancing; toasting one another with l’chaim (to life) chatting with old and new friends; and, of course, watching the thrilling men’s gold-medal hockey game, live on two giant show room screens.

Megillah Reading

Putting on Tefillin

Putting on Tefillin

Cheering During Hockey Game

Singing Purim Songs

 While, many people came to the Purim celebrations anxious to cheer on their hockey team, Rabbi Baitelman of Chabad of Richmond Jewish Centre, organizers of the event, reminded those in attendance of the four mitzvot (commandments) of Purim.

1) Requirement to read the Megillah,
2) eat a festive meal,
3) sending gifts of food to friends
4) sending food to the poor, or donating money to charity

Many people also came dressed in costume, as is the tradition, and greeted old and new friends with the customary toast of l’chaim over a small glass of wine, beer or schnapps.
Festivities ended, after Canada win of Hockey’s prestigious Olympic gold medal, with many dancing to and singing tradition songs like Havana-gila and Chag-Purim. What a great way to end both Purim and the Vancouver Winter Olympics.

Written By: Nicholas Pavlich
Video By: Nicholas Pavlich
Nicholas Pavlich is a public relations and marketing professional and freelance writer. Nicholas is @NicholasPR on Twitter and can be reached professionally through www.FuelledCommunications.com

By Marc Smith

A once in a lifetime experience occurred today. I held in my hands all 6 of the Olympic and Paralympic medals! A first in modern Olympic history the IOC allowed the host nation to exhibit and make available to the general public actual Olympic medals. Here’s the story of my Gold Medal experience.

7am I arrived at the SFU Segal Graduate School for Business at Granville & Pender. Actually during Feb 12th to 28th it’s been transformed into the Canadian Mint Pavilion. In front of me were about 100 dedicated people mostly local Vancouverites.

In front and behind me were 2 people soon to become my Canadian Mint tour buddies Arjuna and Vena. We spent the next two hours sharing our Olympic experiences, passing on tips of what to see and what wasn’t worth the wait.

Vena, Arjuna and Marc - the start of our golden experience

8:20am A good buddy Gus, who works in a building overlooking the Pavilion came by with an order of coffee and some fresh conversation. Always a nice treat

The Pavilion Staff came out and started to arrange the line ups, which by now was easily 300+ people long, into the classic zig zag formation with the help of stanchions. A wee bit of confusion ensued as to where to go when to go etc… after 12 days I would have thought this would be a piece of cake.

9am the doors open and wait expect to be allowed in. Wrong, similar to the Zip Line it’s a managed flow of approx 10 people let in at a time.

9:20am We are inside! Oops now we are in another lineup, at least we are warm dry and have easy access to washrooms . Within 10 minutes we are moving again, greeted by Pavilion Staff and offered one white glove. Ok I have to admit at this point Arjuna, Vena and I looked at each other and exclaimed “I feel like Michael Jackson”

Our Michael jackson moment

9:30am Gloves on hand we proceed to the 2nd floor to enter our 3rd line up. This one is the one we have been waiting for. To touch Gold. Along the way a kiosk has been set up to allow visitors to exchange quarters for the Olympic Quarters produced by the Canadian Mint.

Over the next 30 minutes we are met by Pavilion Staff making sure everyone in the lineup has a white glove on.

10am Pavilion Security gives us a quick run down of what to expect inside the medal room (only 10 allowed in at a time) and what we can’t do. No photos would be allowed that in any way represented or suggested a victory sign, medal above head or medal held close to the body. These images are restricted and are only allowed for the privilege of Olympic athletes that have earned their medals. Absolutely fair enough!

10:20am We are allowed in!!!! Daniel Mallett, Olympic and Paralympic Medals Project Manager, gives us a brief explanation of the medals and then invites us in to see and touch the 6 medals.

Here’s Daniel’s presentation to us. Sorry for the poor lighting but the screen behind offset the exposure.

10:40am We’re through. Elated excited and feeling privileged to experience the glory of our medals up close. Arjuna Vena and I exchange contact details and promise to share photos. Another connection is made. GO CANADA.

Marc Smith is Vancouver based event planner and will be reporting daily on various events happening around Vancouver. http://twitter.com/amuseconsulting

(Submitted by Marilyn Anderson, Duet Media)

That was precisely the dilemma faced by two young friends of mine  - here's their adventure tale.

It was a dark and stormy night.....well, OK, maybe not quite...but this saga did begin on Tuesday evening with Donald Sutherland giving two tickets to Wednesday's Mens' Half-Pipe event to the mother of an enthusiastic snowboard fan.  That fan, her teenaged daughter, immediately responded by calling her close friend/fellow boarder....and the plan was hatched.

Parents approved, transport tickets were acquired and the girls were delivered to the Transport bus area, tickets to Cypress Mountain in hand.  That's also where the fun begins, as the bus they board turns out to be headed for Whistler.  Now, these Olympic buses are not on your usual route; they don't make stops to let people off or on, they don't change direction, and they go up to the event location for the beginning of a competition event....and only come back after it is all done.  In other words, the girls were hooped for the Half-Pipe........'prisoners on a bus'.

Believe me, no one can be more emphatic about a 'perilous situation' than a girl on a bus heading AWAY from Shaun White!  Frantic calls to Mom ensue, leading Mom #2 to call Olympic Transport for help.  It was not quite as easy as that, as the 'helpful' volunteers were adamant that the bus was going to Whistler - as scheduled - with no way off, anywhere along the way.

Fortunately, no one is also more persuasive than a girl on a bus heading  AWAY from Shaun Miller, and our two fans were gratefully deposited near the McDonald's in Squamish.  Now a new dilemma (more calls to Mom #2) because they were no longer headed for Whistler....but had no way back right then!  Poor Mom - in the middle of her own busy work day - trying to sort all this out!

Have no fear: an official VANOC car pulls into the Squamish parking lot and the girls ask for help.......leading them to join a family and driver who delivered them right to their Cypress site!  Now that's a great story! but it doesn't end there.

Not only did they wind up on the right mountain - no mean feat, in itself - but they got to see their hero Shaun White win Olympic gold, and had a fantastic time!!  (Happy Ending #2: Mom #2 survived, as well.  I got this call at ~ 11 PM). Cheers!

Marilyn Anderson is a Communications Strategist and Co-Founder of Duet-Media

A delighted Crowd - Alexandre Bilodeau at Robson Square.

Story and photos by Toby Snelgrove

It was an afternoon to hang with my daughter, Andie, who was fresh from the Men's Mogul competition on Sunday. She beamed with delight as she described to me what happened at Cypress Mountain yesterday. It truly was a patriotic high experienced by her and her fellow Canadians. They had jsut witnessed Canada winning its first gold medal of the games and on home turf - even watching it on television choked me up.

I have to admit, I was envious. It is one thing to be out of town when something like this happens, but to be just a bus ride away and knowing that the event ticket would have cost less than $200, hurts. I didn't let my envy effect my joy for her. It was the first day of outstanding weather and it was our first gold medal. Truly, "she" struck gold. However, it was not to be the end of her good luck.

A happy man

As we meandered about Robson Street, I explained the different venues and described some of the spontaneous (unannounced) happenings. For some reason I decided to turn south at the ice rink and head towards a stage where I had enjoyed a concert two nights ago. As we made our way back she noticed the crowd taking an interest in one of the small stages to the right. There was excitement in the air. The camera slowly panned from the "green room" waiting area towards the stage. The huge display screen revealed nothing. As I was about to direct her down to the ice rink, an announcer appeared and said, "We have a special guest for you today". I grabbed my camera in anticipation. A  young man appeared on stage. The crowd erupted in spontaneous cheers and applause. It was not other than Alexandre Bilodeau, my daughter's new hero.

I was a sweet moment. My daughter and I, who I see infrequently (she's from California), together experiencing Alexandre Bilodeau's first non-broadcasted meeting with the public - and we were there.

Toby Photo Blog