Mat-Su Borough bids to host 2024 Arctic Winter Games

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) - The Matanuska-Susitna Borough is bidding to host the 2024 Arctic Winter Games.

In an email sent Tuesday, Borough leaders write that they are officially throwing their hat in the ring.

“The Games celebrate sport, social exchange and cultures,” wrote the borough. “The Games provide an opportunity for the developing athlete to compete in friendly competition while sharing cultural values from northern regions around the world.”

According to an online post on the Mat-Su Borough’s website, it normally takes close to a month to go through a review process and come out with a decision by the Arctic Winter Games.

The Mat-Su Borough says the Assembly voted to move forward with the bid during the February 2, 2021, regular Assembly meeting. The borough says following their move to go forward with the bid, they received support from the state of Alaska, which, “verbally committing to a contribution of $2 million.” They also say the Arctic Winter Games International Committee has $50,000 remaining from previous games in Fairbanks that will be donated to the host of the 2024 games.

Alaska has hosted the games six times in the past 50 years, with Fairbanks being the most recent in 2014. The cost for hosting the AWG is between $5 million to $8 million.

The 2020 Arctic Winter Games were canceled because of COVID-19. They were expected to be played in Whitehorse, Yukon territory from March 15 to 21, 2020.

The next AWG expected to take place is the 2022 games in Wood Buffalo, Canada. The games go from March 6 to 12.