Mat-Su 2024 Arctic Winter Games hosts International Committee and Chefs De Mission from participating countries.

Last week, the Mat-Su 2024 Arctic Winter Games (AWG) Host Society hosted 23 people from across all 8 participating contingents that take part in the Arctic Winter Games.

Known internally as the “M1,” Mission Meeting 1 marks an important milestone for the Host Society Board of Directors, Chefs de Mission and International Committee.

“This meeting was a resounding success for everyone,” said Leda Borys, Vice Chair of the Board of Directors for the Mat-Su 2024 Arctic Winter Games.

During the visit, the international guests walked through the spaces participants will use during AWG Week, including participating schools in the Matanuska Susitna Borough School District, and prominent public facilities like the Curtis D. Menard Memorial Sports Center and the MTA Events Center.

Guests also traveled the routes the athletes, coaches, and trainers will take from their villages to their venues to help with planning and preparations for each team during Games Week, giving guests a chance to highlight the progress made in planning for the AWG.

It also provided an opportunity for the Chefs de Mission, or the heads of each team, to ask important questions that will help them plan for how to organize their staff and coaches.

“The Chefs in particular, commented that our staff and volunteers were so welcoming that it felt like they ‘were coming home.’ We are right where we should be in the planning process and the Chefs and IC are looking forward to M2 in September, where we'll share our plans in even greater detail,” said Borys.

Mariele DePeuter from Baker Lake, Nunavut and Chef de Mission for Team Nunavut, agreed.

“The hospitality was super. We learned a lot about this place and definitely were impressed by the amazing facilities. They are going to serve as great spaces for competition for our athletes,” he said.

The AWG participants aren’t the only people who will be impacted when the AWG comes to the Mat-Su Borough next year.

"I want the Mat-Su Borough and the communities and the Host Society and the government officials to be very proud of the Games. I want the Games to be hugely successful and give our communities and experiences that will last a lifetime,” said John Rodda, President of the Arctic Winter Games International Committee. Rodda has been involved with the Arctic Winter Games since 1974, and has been on the International Committee for the past 25 years.

“It is an amazing international event. It is so impressive to see youth come together from the North. The cultural exchange is incredible and watching the participants compete through the spirit of Northern competition with their peers is an amazing thing to watch. It is very special.”

“A big thank you to the Host Society. We are looking forward to next March. Our participants come from remote places and this creates a lot of opportunities for them. Being a part of this is really special. The best part is seeing the kids when they head into the Opening Ceremonies. That moment, when they enter, that is what makes all the work worth it,” said DePeuter.

The Mat-Su 2024 Arctic Winter Games will take place March 10-16, 2024 with participating team contingents coming from Alaska, Alberta North, Greenland, Northwest Territories, Nunavik-Quebec, Nunavut, Sapmi, and Yukon.

For more information about the Mat-Su 2024 Arctic Winter Games, visit www.awg2024.org or their Facebook page.