A symbolic torch from the Empire State Winter Games was carried through the halls of the district’s campuses and through the village’s streets before it reached its destination, Community Bank in the village of Gowanda. The annual event is hosted by Community Bank in conjunction with the Gowanda Central School District to provide an experience for students to share with the community.

“I think it’s great to see our kids involved in some large community, statewide activities. To showcase our students in that way, it’s great,” said Gowanda Superintendent Dr. Robert Anderson.

Two torches — one on each side of the state — travel across the state making stops in communities like Gowanda before they meet up in Lake Placid when the games commence on Thursday. The Empire State Winter Games — the largest Olympic style winter sporting event in the northeast United States — are held from Thursday through Sunday.

“It’s just a nice, special opportunity for a community like Gowanda and the students of Gowanda to participate in something that is bigger than the community, to showcase the great kids and teachers we have here and showcase our community,” Anderson said.

Community Bank District Manager Ralph Swanson, left, and staff members of Community Bank pose for a photo with Modified Cross Country Coach Dave Bolen, third from left, and runners from the Gowanda Central School District after the Empire State Winter Games torch made its way to Community Bank on Monday.

Students of various ages and members of Gowanda’s cross country teams carried the torch through the halls of the high school and middle school, then departed from the campus and ran down the street with vehicles escorting their path to the elementary school. Students watched as the torch was carried through the halls of the elementary school, then out to the street again.

“It’s fun to be able to provide something for the athletes to experience as part of a bigger event,” said Gowanda Physical Education Teacher and Modified Cross Country Coach Dave Bolen.

After the event first came to the district a few years ago, Bolen has “taken the reins” in coordinating each year between the district, Community Bank District Manager Ralph Swanson, the Empire State Winter Games, and others in the community involved to make the annual event a smooth and successful experience.

“We’ve tried to participate as much as possible. Mr. Swanson, our bank manager, always reaches out to me with an email if the torch is going to be at our branch, and it usually is. I’m thankful that he reaches out and we get to participate in this neat event every year,” Bolen said.

Gowanda senior Drew Shull carried the torch through the high school hallways and down the final stretch of the journey, accompanied by his fellow athletes and Coach Bolen all the way down Aldrich Street and across to its destination, Community Bank.

“I think it’s pretty cool that I was picked for it,” Shull said. It is Shull’s first year participating in the event after being one of Gowanda’s top runners as a senior.

The district has participated in the event for multiple years, but for Bolen, it never gets old – even though some of the runners participating have grown up in front of his eyes since he first began coaching them at the modified level.

“It’s fun because they have always been a great, hardworking group of kids for me. It is nice to see them pursue the sport of running and be able to utilize it,” said Bolen. “It’s fun to be able to see them utilize what they have worked so hard on.”