With just over 17 months to go until the 2007 Canada Winter Games, Games officials are working hard on securing sponsorship.

Northwestel and TransCanada Pipeline have already been announced as major sponsors of the event and this morning, CKRW The Rush joined the fray as a diamond sponsor, making an value-in-kind contribution of $100,000.

'As a part of our community, we sponsor many different events and associations,' explained Jennifer Johnstone, the general manager of the radio station, in an interview following the announcement. 'When we heard about the 2007 Canada Games coming here, we knew it was something we absolutely wouldn't miss being a part of.

'We're excited to showcase the territory's unique spirit to visitors associated with the Games and also bring the Games closer to Yukoners across the territory.'

CKRW will provide such services as radio and website advertising, live-on-location coverage at Games events and regular Canada Games updates and reports, as well as a direct link from their website to the Games site.

In return, the radio station will receive such benefits as the right to use the diamond sponsor logo, recognition in Games publications, signage at all Games venues and a link from the Games website back to theirs.

'Our partnership with CKRW The Rush is of tremendous value and will assist the 2007 Canada Games organizers with volunteer and sponsorship recruitment and recognition, conveying import announcements and providing Yukoners with regular updates on our progress, as we prepare for 2007,' said Patti Balsillie, assistant vice-president of sponsorship for 2007.

'(The purpose of the partnership) is all about promotion of the Games, recruitment of volunteers and status reports on what's going on. (Basically), to create some hype, especially in the communities. We just want to get people motivated and enthusiastic.'

Today's announcement was made during the first year anniversary celebrations of CKRW's debut in FM stereo, as The Rush. This sponsorship marks CKRW's largest partnership to date.

While Games organizers are still looking for sponsorship on a national level, they are also hoping many smaller, local companies will get on board, in what she called 'creative ways.'

Because of the territory's small population, said Balsillie, they understand not many businesses can afford to be huge sponsors. That's why the Friends of the Games campaign was created, for companies which wish to sponsor under-$100,000 and Balsillie said they hope to realize $1-million from that campaign.

'We're really sensitive to being as creative as we can by allowing local businesses the opportunity to participate,' she said.

There are already a few local business sponsorships confirmed, said Balsillie, and they expect to have more in the near future.

Things are also looking good on the national front, according to the President of the Games Host Society Piers McDonald. While he wouldn't spill any details, McDonald did say a major sponsorship announcement is planned for Toronto next month.

'We're fairly confident we'll be well over halfway to our sponsorship mark in January, which compared to past Games, is pretty impressive,' said McDonald. 'For the first time in a long time I can finally say, as far as big ticket items, we're in very good shape.

'We have one final contribution financially to confirm and that's the federal contribution. We expect to have that on hand by late-October. At that point, we'll know what the financial picture looks like and how we'll target the planning of the Games.'

As for two of the major constructional components for 2007, the Jeux du Canada Games Centre, A.K.A. the multiplex, and the athlete's village at Yukon College, McDonald said everyone can rest easy.

'There was certainly some anxiety for a while,' he admitted, in reference to delays on both buildings.

McDonald said he recently toured the athlete's village and after talking to everyone involved in the construction, he's 'pretty confident we'll have a facility in our hands within the time allotted.'

The president is hopeful Games officials will still be able to start working with the athlete's village in October or November of 2006, which doesn't necessarily mean it will be fully finished by then, he explained.

'We just need it 80 to 85 per cent complete, so we can start moving in beds and stuff like that. A lot of the finishing touches will take place after the Games is done.'

The multiplex is scheduled to open for public use in just a couple of weeks and McDonald said everyone he's talked to is impressed by the massive structure.

'It's hard not to be, when you see all that action under one roof,' he smiled.

Also on the list for McDonald is a major volunteer recruitment drive, scheduled for next spring. He's confident that Yukoners will rise to the challenge, given their past history with volunteering for events, such as the Canada Senior and Arctic Winter Games.

All of the work accomplished so far, he said, couldn't have been done without the rest of the 2007 Games staff.

'I'm really proud we have such an energetic team that's been tirelessly working on this project.'