The last two weeks of February 2010 defined who we are as Canadians. As Shane Koyczan, the most brilliant poet of the Vancouver Opening Ceremonies stated in his prose, We Are More, “we are the surprise the world has in store for you.”

TJ Fedyk, the Western Cup Director is hoping that this spirit will continue at the Calgary LGBT community’s answer to the Olympics. “The Western Cup demonstrates who we are as a community, a fun competition in a friendly atmosphere.”

The Western Cup is Apollo’s annual multi-sport tournament that is “the longest running annual LGBT multi-sport tournament in North America.” For those unfamiliar with Apollo, it is Calgary’s LGBT sports network, which runs a number of athletic social groups ranging from volleyball to Yoga. It was formed in 1981 by a group of like-minded individuals who wanted to create a friendly, athletic social group for the LGBT community of Calgary. An idea came to mind that year, to invite similar organizations from Edmonton to participate in a Volleyball Tournament. This proved to be successful, and the Western Cup was born. Now boasting around 500 athletes from all over Canada, it has grown to its current form.

Fedyk, who is in his first year as Event Director, attributes many things to its 28 year achievement. “The success comes from the fun that everyone has at the games. It is all about getting to know each other and celebrating both sport and our community. The things people take back from the event are the social aspects included in the dance and casino night.”

The event runs from April 1st to 3rd this year, and promises to keep you entertained whether you are a participant or a spectator. Sporting tournaments include curling, volleyball, bowling, badminton, hockey and its newest entry Dodgeball. There is also an opportunity to join the Fun Run downtown. Calgary will also play host to the Canadian Gay National Curling Championships that are running in correlation with the Western Cup.

The Social Events are a major hit during the weekend’s festivities as well. On Friday, April 2nd, try your luck at the Casino Night and dance the evening away at the Western Cup Dance on Saturday April 3rd. With attendance ranging from 800 to 1000 people, this is the largest LGBT dance event in the city! Both events will take place at The Westin Hotel in downtown Calgary—one of the Western Cup’s Sponsors.

In fact, Fedyk could not be more grateful for the generous sponsors this year including GayCalgary and Edmonton Magazine, Barefoot Wine and Bubbly, Manhunt.net, Manhunt Cares, Dlist.com, Cruiseline, and The Westin Hotel and Resorts. He adds, “Our sponsors have been so generous. Manhunt in particular, advertised our event across the nation. We have had the most hits on our website of all time.”

The Western Cup could not make it without its tireless volunteers. There are still volunteering positions available for this year, at both the sporting and the social events. This is a perfect opportunity to get involved in such a great happening . If you are interested, make sure to fill out a Volunteer Form on the Western Cup’s website.

Registration for the Western Cup ends on March 15th. Make sure you visit their website to register yourself and your team for an event. Dance tickets can be purchased now at Priape for $20.00 or at the door for $25.00. The Vegas Casino Night tickets can be purchased at the door for $10.00. There is also an opportunity to purchase both Dance and Casino tickets in a Party Pak for $30.00, and these are available on the website.

No sporting event is as fun without the encouragement of an audience, and in fact, there is no charge for attending sporting events as a spectator. “There is nothing better than being cheered on. I was in the volleyball tournament last year, and the energy generated from this was fabulous.”