The 10-foot Poverty Olympics Torch came to Whistler Village on Sunday, accompanied by Chewy the Rat and Creepy the Cockroach.

In a surprising turn of events, Vanoc’s Quatchi [TM] mascot joined the “once in a lifetime” incredibly inspiring and truly remarkable Torch celebrations. The Torch and mascots are building the really quite extraordinary public hysteria surrounding Vancouver’s 3rd Annual Poverty Olympics on Sunday, February 7th in the Downtown Eastside.

Besides the giant torch, the days wonderfully awesome events included Whistlerites making “Slapshots To End Poverty”–trying to get the puck past Gordo the Greedy Goalie, who persists in blocking adequate welfare, minimum wage, and social housing construction.

The day’s mascot drama began when Quatchi appeared in the crowd, and then collapsed in front of Gordo. He said that he was sick of the grotesque hype, militarization, and celebration of greed represented by the Olympics. He was comforted by activists from the Olympic Resistance Network, Whistler Watch, Streams of Justice, and Citywide Housing Coalition.

In the end, Quatchi was able to rise again, and the three mascots celebrated with glowing hearts.

Please join the Torch Relay this week as it visits Chilliwack, Abbotsford, Langley, Surrey, New Westminster, North and West Vancouver, Coquitlam and Burnaby, concluding at the Poverty Olympics in Vancouver on February 7.  Find out more about the relay here.