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Year #19 2004
In 2004, the Big Sky State Games celebrated its 19th Anniversary with 11,391 athletes from 250 communities participating in 33 sports and 2,500 volunteers. The Big Sky State Games stands as the largest State Games per capita in the nation.
Olympic TaeKwonDo Gold Medalist Steven Lopez was the special guest Torch Lighter at Opening Ceremonies. Lopez was the 2000 gold medalist in the featherweight division at the Sydney Olympics and just won other gold medal in the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece. This time he competed as a welterweight (176 lbs.). Ballroom Dance was added to Dance Sports events. The new category offered a touch of spice to the Games with the Latin Spotlight Routines to the traditional Waltz and of course the Country Two Step. Track and Field athlete, Jen Allen of Billings and Road Race athlete Duane Cole of Colstrip were named the Big Sky State Games Athletes of the Year. The award recognized the top male and female among the participants of the 2003 Big Sky State Games who best personified the ideals of participation, sportsmanship, effort, and positive attitude. The Big Sky State Games Character Counts! Scholarship continued for the fifth year and was awarded at Opening Ceremonies to Alexa McLaughlin of Helena and Joshua Hedge of Billings. Both McLaughlin and Hedge were juniors in high school during the 2003/2004 school year. The Character Counts! Scholarship is an annual award designed to promote sportsmanship. Applications/nominations forms are available each year at the Big Sky State Games office. In addition, the Athlete Assistance Program continued for the fourth year assisting athletes that might not be able to enter the Games due to financial hardship. Shape Up Montana, a program of the Big Sky State Games, exceeded all expectations in just its second year. A total of 2,294 participants lost over 2 tons of fat and covered over 596, 561... just for reference.... that's 25 times around the world! All SUM participants were automatically entered into the Fitness Walk during Opening Ceremonies.
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