Orange excited to share in Baton relay

“From now until April next year people across Australia will be getting more and more excited about Australia hosting the Commonwealth Games,” Cr John Davis said.

“For many Australians the Baton Relay will be the sign of the games drawing closer , and for Orange to be a part of the journey is tremendous.”

“After the national announcement, planning can now get under way in earnest for the community events in Orange to mark the visit of the Baton on the morning of Tuesday 30 January 2018.

"People will also be lining the streets as the Baton is run through the streets of Orange. It will be in Orange for only two or three hours, but on that day Orange will be in the brief focus of an international spotlight, and we’ll be making the most of it.”

“It’s also great news that around twenty central west residents will be able to take a turn carrying the Baton when it comes to Orange. An online community nomination program is now under way that will let anyone be nominated. As long as you’re aged ten and over you can be nominated and independent panels in each state will have the tough job of assessing those nominations and choosing who will take part.”

The relay will begin at Buckingham, Palace next weekend on Commonwealth Day (13 March 2017) when her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II will place her message to the Commonwealth into the GC20-18 Baton.

Unlike the Olympic Games torch relay which saw runners pass a flame between many

batons during its journey, there will only be one GC2018 baton which will be passed

from runner to runner.

The Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games Queen’s Baton Relay is the longest relay in

history, in total spanning 388 days and 230,000 kilometres.

From London, the Queen’s Baton will travel through Africa, the Americas, the Caribbean,

Europe, Asia and Oceania, spending between two and four days in each Commonwealth

nation and territory. It’s estimated this will give one third of the world’s population the

opportunity to share an experience with the Baton.

The Baton will arrive in Australia in December 2017 and then reach the Gold Coast for

the Commonwealth Games on 4 April 2018.

Nominations to be a batonbearer and now open and will run until 15 May via the

GC2018 website. https://www.gc2018.com

BATON: Orange Mayor John Davis with one of the Sydney Olympics torch relay batons that passed through Orange in 2000.