To the editor:
Greetings from the Organizing Committee for the 2014 IBU Youth/Jr. Biathlon World Championships! Only two weeks to go until Opening Ceremonies, where we will welcome the world to Aroostook County.
With the generous support from our local sponsors, thousands of volunteer hours from our dedicated volunteer team (over 400 strong), and a little luck from Mother Nature, we will proudly present one of the largest Jr. World Championships ever hosted! This is a remarkable achievement for our region and we can all be proud of this accomplishment. The eyes of the European Biathlon world will be focused on Aroostook County, and arriving on the heels of the Sochi, Russia Winter Olympic Games provides an even more prominent stage for us to showcase our world-class competitions.
This event has an enormous economic impact within our region. Teams from Russia, Bulgaria, France and others are arriving early, some are staying with us for nearly a month. Almost every Federation is working with the Organizing Committee to book hotels, transportation, and food contracts, all secured locally. This not only positively affects our hospitality and retail vendors immediately, but also runs much deeper as the money spent by our European friends circulates through our economy on secondary and tertiary levels for months to come.
It has been estimated our 2011 Biathlon World Cup had an impact of nearly $10 million on our economy and this World Jr. Biathlon has the potential to be even greater, due to the longevity of teams residing in the area. This is certainly something to celebrate!
We invite everyone to come to the Nordic Heritage Center from Feb. 28th-March 7th to witness these world class competitions. It is very exciting for our USA Jr. Biathlon team to be competing on their home course. Many of the USA team members have direct ties to Maine Winter Sports Center and our local universities. These biathletes have worked extremely hard, with limited team sponsorship they are all paying their own expenses to compete at this event. This is a testament to their incredible work ethic both on and off the competition field. Please come cheer on your home team and congratulate all of them on a job well done.
Please also take a moment to say a heartfelt “thank you” to our sponsors and our media partners. Without their generous support, this event simply could not happen. We are grateful the leadership within these organizations understands how important the benefits of the Nordic Heritage Center are to our region. The out-migration of youth in Aroostook County is a deep concern, and venues such as the Nordic Heritage Center who offer unique four-season activities along with exciting world class competitions help keep our residents engaged and attached to our region, and can also attract potential new residents who witness a vibrant and dynamic community when visiting.
On behalf of the Organizing Committee, we warmly welcome you to attend the 2014 World Jr. Biathlon Opening Ceremonies on Thursday, Feb. 27th at the University of Maine at Presque Isle Gentile Hall, 7:30 p.m. It’s sure to be a wonderful prelude to the exciting competitions ahead! And we look forward to seeing you at Nordic Heritage Center Feb. 28th through March 7th!
Jane Towle
event director
