Canadian Tire’s Selen Alpay champions inclusion as 2025 Special Olympics BC Summer Games Honorary General Manager
Known for his remarkable philanthropic leadership and his lasting impact throughout Prince George and northern B.C., Selen Alpay is yet again making a difference for his community by playing a powerful part with the 2025 Special Olympics BC Summer Games. Canadian Tire is the valued Platinum Sponsor of the 2025 Special Olympics BC Summer Games, and Alpay has been helping lead the way for inclusion and respect of athletes with intellectual disabilities as the SOBC Games Honorary General Manager.
The owner of Canadian Tire Prince George, Alpay was one of the first sponsors to commit to being part of the 2025 SOBC Summer Games, in order to help make this empowering experience possible for athletes with intellectual and developmental disabilities from all across the province. Alpay and his wife Anita are longtime champions of a significant number of meaningful causes throughout the community. Alpay and the Canadian Tire staff have played a vital part in bringing the 2025 SOBC Summer Games to life and hosting an outstanding experience for the Special Olympics athletes that will compete with pride in Prince George July 10 to 12.
As Honorary General Manager, Alpay has championed Special Olympics and the SOBC Games throughout the community, and he will be part of the inspiring SOBC Games Opening Ceremony on July 10 at 7:30 p.m. at CN Centre. The 2025 SOBC Summer Games Opening Ceremony will be a powerful celebration of inclusion and the power of sport, with no tickets required and free entry for all spectators to help welcome the passionate Special Olympics athletes and volunteers from across the province.
“Special Olympics is such a meaningful, memorable, and worthy cause. I am blessed to be associated with Special Olympics and the positive impact it makes on the lives of some pretty incredible human beings,” Alpay said.
“Selen is an exemplary community leader who has truly made a difference for the 2025 Special Olympics BC Summer Games and throughout the Prince George community. Time and again Selen has generously contributed his resources and skills, his caring heart, and his inspiring example to make a difference for so many different meaningful causes. We’re so thrilled and grateful he chose to be part of the 2025 SOBC Games,” Co-Chair Renee McCloskey said.
“We are so fortunate to have such generous support from vital Games sponsors including key contributions from Canadian Tire, the City of Prince George, the Province of British Columbia, the Canucks for Kids Fund, the VINCI Canada Fund administered by Myriad Canada, and Royal LePage. The support of sponsors is essential to give our SOBC Games athletes the life-changing experience of challenging themselves and showcasing their skills in provincial competition. We sincerely thank all our valued Games sponsors and Special Olympics BC’s provincial partners for helping open hearts and minds to the abilities of people with intellectual disabilities,” says Lyn Hall, SOBC Games Co-Chair.
Please visit www.SOBCGames.ca to see all the SOBC Games sponsors, as well as the whole event schedule and details.
There are some vital volunteer roles remaining to help make the SOBC Games possible, including sport operations, food services, medical support, and access control to ensure participant safety. Volunteers are encouraged to register right away at www.SOBCGames.ca to change lives, including their own.
About Special Olympics BC
Special Olympics BC is dedicated to enriching the lives of individuals with intellectual disabilities through sport. In 55 communities around the province, we provide year-round training and competitive opportunities in 18 different sports to thousands of athletes of all ages and a wide range of abilities, thanks to the dedicated efforts of coaching and organizing volunteers. For more information, please visit www.specialolympics.bc.ca and find us on Facebook, Instagram, Flickr, and TikTok @specialolympicsbc and on X @SpecialOBC.
To learn more about the empowering year-round sport, youth, and health programs offered by Special Olympics BC – Prince George, please find them online and on Facebook.
Contacts
Please reach out to the below contacts to arrange phone interviews with Selen Alpay on July 2 or 3, or the week of July 7.
Local contact:
Shirley Bond, 2025 SOBC Games Director of Public Relations
Provincial contact:
Megan Pollock, SOBC Marketing & Communications Director
Email megan@specialolympics.bc.ca
Cell 604-737-3077