Torontonians, especially the school-aged ones, buzzed with excitement as the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics prepared to kick off with its opening ceremony.
Students in Scarborough had Winter Games fever Friday as they held their own Olympic play day, complete with medal scoreboard.
The kids at C. D. Farquharson P.S. on Brimley Road near Sheppard Avenue East were all dressed in red for a multicultural opening ceremony assembly.
They got pumped for the event by chanting "Go Canada Go" and waving flags.
Principal Joan Willis said the school organized the event because all Canadians will be celebrating the Games on home soil.
She said the purpose of the play day is to teach the kids about values like sportsmanship and unity. "We wanted our children to get an understanding about the Olympics," she said. "We talked about themes such as teamwork and perseverance."
The kids were pumped for their own games, and the official ones in Vancouver.
Grade Three student Ayuni Ratnayake said she likes snowboarding.
"It's really fun and you get to express yourself with all the different kinds of moves you do," she said.
Meanwhile, two parents weren't happy with the idea of just watching the Games on TV, so they packed their bags for a real-life experience.
Tim Wasik, his wife, and their three children were eagerly awaiting their flight to Vancouver at Pearson International Airport Friday morning.
"I said to myself, ‘When are my kids ever going to see the Olympics?' and so we started planning this a year ago," Wasik said.
The family has tickets for men's and women's hockey and curling.
Lauren, the youngest Wasik said she was very excited.
She was already showing her Olympic spirit by bringing along a paper torch she made at school.
With reports from CTV Toronto's Alicia Markson and Ken Regular
