Christopher Beausoleil of Tilbury lights the Chatham-Kent Olympic flame on Tuesday (Dec. 22) at the CK Celebrates the Torch event in Chatham - Aaron Hall Photo

By Aaron Hall – Daily Post Editor

Hundreds of people were packed inside and outside the Kinsmen Auditorium in Chatham on Tuesday night (Dec. 22) for the C-K Celebrates the Torch event.

Tilbury resident Christopher Beausoleil carried the last leg of the Torch Relay for Chatham-Kent, dawned the stage and lit the Olympic cauldron as hundreds of people cheered and celebrated the moment.

“I was super excited to see all of Chatham-Kent here,” Chatham-Kent’s final torchbearer said on the stage, just moments after lighting the cauldron. Offering some words of advice to youth in the community, Beausoleil said “anything you want to do is possible.”

The Olympic Torch first arrived in Chatham-Kent earlier in the evening and made trips through the communities of Ridgetown and Blenheim, before making way into Chatham, and eventually the celebration site by the Kinsmen Auditorium and Memorial Arena.

Hundreds of people and youth took part in a variety of activities inside Kinsmen Auditorium, with events running from 2 p.m. until 9 p.m.

Various local entertainers hit the stage as well, both inside the Auditorium and outside at the stage assembled by the Vancouver 2010 Committee.

Some of the entertainment included bag pipe player Justin Steele, Walpole Island drummers and dancers, PURE, All That Jazz, North Buxton Male Choir, Treble Makers Choir, Jade Lester, Cary Templeman, and a musical performance from Chatham-Kent’s Francophone communities.

Watch for more coverage from the event, including a video, later on the CKDP. But for now, check out some more of the photos below from the celebration event that took place in Chatham.