Commonwealth Games Scotland’s (CGS) Chief Executive Jon Doig and General Team Manager Elinor Middlemiss have today taken timeout from the Glasgow 2014 Debrief to visit Coolangatta State School for the first time since the Commonwealth Games Federation Flag was passed from Glasgow to the Gold Coast.

Jon Doig said the purpose of the visit was to reconnect with the school that adopted Scotland as part of the Adopt a Commonwealth Country Programme during the Gold Coast’s bid to host the XXI Commonwealth Games.

“CGS doesn’t get an opportunity to visit the Gold Coast very often and we wanted to make the most of this particular visit to reconnect with Coolangatta State School–the school that adopted us in 2011.”

A relationship between Coolangatta State School and Commonwealth Games Scotland was formed through the Adopt the Commonwealth Country Programme – an initiative implemented by Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games Bid Ltd – during the Gold Coast’s bid to host the Games.

“We have thoroughly enjoyed meeting the students and building on our relationship with Coolangatta State School today and we are looking forward to further engagement with the school in the lead up to the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games (GC2018).”

The visit also provided an opportunity for CGS to personally thank Coolangatta State School for the canvas artwork that they received at the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games.

Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games Corporation (GOLDOC) Chief Executive Officer Mark Peters said the canvas artwork ‘gift’ was a GOLDOC initiative aimed at reigniting the great relationships that were developed with the 74 schools involved in the Adopt a Commonwealth Country Programme and their adopted country.

“The Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games was an excellent reason to re-engage with the schools involved in the programme and provide the students with an opportunity, through the artwork, to invite the Commonwealth Games Associations (CGAs) of their adopted country to visit them again on the Gold Coast in 2018.”

GOLDOC provided each school with a canvas scroll comprising a caricature outline of the Gold Coast to decorate and return to GOLDOC to hand deliver to the CGAs at the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games.

The artworks were presented to the CGAs during the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games. The Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games (GC2018) will be staged from 4-15 April 2018.