Hundreds rally behind region's Canada Summer Games bid

Hundreds gathered for a noon-hour pep rallyin downtown Kitchener to welcome the Canada Summer Games evaluation committee on Tuesday.

Sporting red and blue tuques and holding up signs, the crowd cheered when a massive Canada flag was unfurled that covered the front of TheMuseum and sang the national anthem.

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"I think they are impressed by the passion of the community, our the sense of collaboration and we know those are some of our strengths,"KitchenerMayor BerryVrbanovicsaid.

"An event like this it certainly allows us to provide a visual to them to what we described in terms of community spirit."

Many took to social media to show their support by using the #WeRally2021. Thehashtageven made it tonumber one on Twitter at one point.

The evaluation committee visited several key venues such as those at the University of Guelph, the University of Waterloo, Wilfrid Laurier University and ChicopeeSki and Summer Resort.

Waterloo region is competing against Sudbury, Niagara and Ottawa for the chance to host the 2021 Canada Summer Games.

The Canada Games evaluation committee will head to theNiagara region on Wednesday. The committee will reveal who will host the 2021 Canada Games on March 30.