nerth shore news @ SPORTS Bob Mackin News Reporter THE B.C. Games for Athletes with a Disability took 15 menths of planning and were all over in five days. Competitors from around B.C., Canada and the U.S. Pacific Northwest did cxactly what athlete Marco Pasqua said at the closing ceremonies: they came to North Vancouver and displayed their abilities rather than disabilities. North Vancouver respond- ed. Only a month ago, 100 volunteers had signed on. Host committee president Richard Walton said 730 peo- ple volunteered to assist the 650 athletes. : “They shared lives and laughed a lot,” said Walton during the closing ceremony. “The North Vancouver sun shone. The smog, only in Vancouver, didr’t visit us.” He invited ail athletes to . clap and implored those with medals tc “rattle their jewel- ry.” Then he held a ceremoni- al “turning off of the cell phones” for the volunteers, The 13-sport Games kicked off Thursday night under glo- ‘rious blue skies. A gentle breeze kept temperatures com- fortable. A parade of vintage cars, led by the not-so-vintage Hum- ities preva ties at Games taer, preceded the parade of athletes. Local politicians were joined by finance minister Joy MacPhail, replacing sport min- ister lan Waddell. Blind sports members Trish McNair and Howard Hodges lit the Games’ flame while MacPhail declared the event open. By the time participants gathered for a final time Sunday at Capilano Callege’s Birch Building atrium, a mult- tude of memories and friend- ships had been formed. Four blind sports records fell and a golfer registered a hole in one. Four athletes set national blind track and ficld records: Jason Dunkericy of Brantford, Ont., 800 m; Dustin Walsh, Coquitlam, 2°6 m; France Gagne, Qu