The 2025 Manitoba 55+ Summer Games came to a close in Steinbach on Wednesday after three full days of friendly competition, community spirit, and a lot of purple volunteer shirts.
More than 1,000 participants from across the province registered for this year’s event, which included slo-pitch, golf, bocce, pickleball, and the debut of beach volleyball as a demonstration sport.
Doug Graham, co-chair of the games, says the event went smoothly overall, thanks to the efforts of dedicated volunteers and the support of the community.
“Has it been perfect? No, but there’s been a few hiccups and we just roll with things and things worked out well,” said Graham. “We’re getting lots of great comments both on the events and our facility. Steinbach has really rolled out the red carpet and people are talking about it.”
Participants from across Manitoba
Athletes came from every region of the province, including northern communities like The Pas.
“I was talking with a guy [Wednesday] morning, he was golfing, he’s from The Pas,” said Graham. “He golfs every year and he says this is just great. I was a bit concerned that maybe some people from the north maybe not would be able to come, but at least there’s one that I’m aware of.”
Graham noted that while a few registrants did not make the trip, that’s typical for an event of this size, and participation was still strong.
Weather and air quality concerns addressed
As air quality statements and warnings were issued during game days, organizers remained in communication with athletes and volunteers, especially those with health concerns.
“We did have a few volunteers from Winnipeg with breathing issues who said they couldn’t stay. So we found more volunteers and it all worked out fine.”
He added that golf participants were informed they could leave mid-round if needed, but no one had to cut their game short.
A celebration of community
The volunteer support throughout the games was something Graham said stood out, calling Steinbach’s ability to rally behind events like this “absolutely amazing.”
“Steinbach knows what to do when it comes to volunteers,” he said. “We’re just so happy with how it worked out.”
He expressed gratitude to all who helped make the event a success.
“Steinbach and area, you did a wonderful job hosting what was a big event,” said Graham. “The volunteers, the event places, the corporations that did things – so many different things were put together that just made this a wonderful week. We just can’t thank you enough for what you’ve done and really showing what our city is about.”
Favourite memory: a night of celebration
While there were many highlights throughout the week, Graham said one moment stood out for him personally.
“My favourite memory... I’m not even going to pick an event. It was the banquet and dance last night,” he said. “We just had a great time. Cracked Eggshell is fabulous anyway, but yeah, we had a great time celebrating.”
The Manitoba 55+ Games will move to a new host community in 2026.
-With files from Carly Koop.