VICTORIA – Laura Butler and Ernie Daykin have been appointed as the President and Vice President, respectively, for the Maple Ridge 2024 BC Summer Games.

Maple Ridge is set to welcome over 3,000 athletes, coaches, and officials from communities around BC at the Games from July 18 to 21, 2024. The community has hosted the BC Summer Games twice previously – in 1983 and 1998 – and was announced as the host of the 2020 BC Summer Games before the event was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Currently the Executive Director at the Ridge Meadows Hospital Foundation, Laura Butler has over twenty years of experience in the not-for-profit sector and brings considerable experience in relationship building, event planning, and community engagement to everything she does. She studied Fundraising & Marketing Management at BCIT, has earned Advanced Toastmaster Bronze recognition, and has an associate degree in Early Childhood Education. She presented at the 2012 International Conference on Fundraising and was a finalist in the 2021 Business Leader of the Year category awarded by the Ridge Meadows Chamber of Commerce.

A citizen of Maple Ridge for 30 years, Butler is passionate about her community and is grateful for the generosity of its many volunteers and community champions who make it a special place.

Ernie Daykin served on Council in Maple Ridge for 12 years, including six years as Mayor. He can trace his family roots in Maple Ridge back to the 1870s and is passionate about giving back to the community through volunteering and not-for-profit work. He owned and operated Windsor Plywood, a local building supply business in Maple Ridge, for 24 years alongside his wife Judy and currently serves as an Administrator for the Baptist Housing Society’s Maple Towers.

The BC Winter and BC Summer Games are British Columbia’s biennial celebration of sport and community. Since 1978, the BC Games have had over 350,000 participants and volunteers, plus thousands more attend as spectators and supporters.

To learn more about the Maple Ridge 2024 BC Summer Games, visit bcgames.org.

Quotes

Laura Butler, President, 2024 BC Summer Games
“Ultimately, this is an event to celebrate youth sport and shine a spotlight on the successes and hard work of athletes across the province. But it’s also an amazing opportunity to bring our community together to put on a smooth and successful Games. We have a unique chance to celebrate our City’s 150^th anniversary, highlight our amazing volunteers and community champions, and showcase all that Maple Ridge has to offer. Our community can do amazing things when we work together and I can’t wait to get to work.”

Dan Ruimy, Mayor, City of Maple Ridge
“The 2024 BC Summer Games will bring athletes from every corner of BC to Maple Ridge and showcase our beautiful community. We’re thankful to have two of our finest community ambassadors, Laura Butler and Ernie Daykin, step up to lead the Board of Directors. With their leadership and the team of incredible volunteers, we will ensure that all participants will have a first rate athletic and cultural experience.”

Alison Noble, President and CEO, BC Games Society
“Strong leadership is the foundation of a well-run Games and we’re excited to see two exceptional leaders taking the reigns in Maple Ridge. We look forward to supporting Laura and Ernie as they bring their community together to provide an exceptional experience for BC’s young athletes.”

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Media Contact

David Conlin

Communications Manager

BC Games Society

davidc@bcgames.org