The official grand opening celebration of the Crescent Point Wickenheiser Centre later this summer will have something for everyone.
“Basically our intent was to make the weekend open to people of all ages, all demographics,” said launch committee member Janelle Wickstrom. “We want this event to be a true community celebration where everyone will get an opportunity to participate in one form or another.”
The celebration will be staged during a two-day event (July 15-16) that will feature a wide range of activities from celebrity golf tournament and street hockey tournament to gala banquet and community barbecue.
Heading the line-up of special guests taking part in the festivities will be Olympic hero Hayley Wickenheiser and members of her family.
“Hayley, of course, won’t be the only former Shaunavon resident returning home for the weekend,” said Wickstrom. “We expect a large number of former residents - including friends of Hayley - to be back in town to commemorate this special occasion and to get a first hand glimpse at the new facility.”

Festivities will begin Friday evening with a barbecue, and ribbon cutting ceremony, followed by a family dance, all to take place at the Crescent Point Wickenheiser Centre.  Friday night will also include a pub night upstairs in the lounge.The fun continues Saturday morning with a pancake breakfast, along with a ball hockey tournament, wellness and leisure fair, free family swim at the pool and horseshoe tournament. All of the events will take place in the vicinity of the new recreational complex.
A golf tournament has also been planned at the Rock Creek Golf and Country Club during the day. 
Later that evening, the launch committee will host a formal banquet, auction, and cabaret, featuring Men Without Shame.
A fireworks display at the sportsgrounds, that the entire community can enjoy, will be another highlight of the evening festivities. 
“Our hope is to have every event packed and sold out, and to make sure that everyone who wants to take part in the weekend gets an opportunity to do so,” Wickstrom said.
Some events will be free of charge, such as the pool activities, fireworks display and horseshoe tournament, while others will have an entry fee.
Another free event will be a Wellness and Leisure fair on Saturday afternoon. The event will highlight local community clubs and programs.
“We want to just make sure that we kick things off right,” said Wickstrom. “We want to give the grand opening event the kind of celebration it deserves.  The completion of this project has been many years coming, but I don’t think anyone will be disappointed in the facility. It’s a wonderful state-of-the-art structure that the community and local businesses have poured their hearts and souls into.”
Wickstrom added that one of the main objectives of the event is to celebrate the opening of the new facility while also serving as a thank you to those individuals who had a part in its creation from beginning to end. 
“More than anything else we want to acknowledge those volunteers and donors who have had a hand in the development of the project,” said Wickstrom. “Big or small, their contribution has been invaluable. We wouldn’t have been able to get it finished without them.”