A. 2015 was a big year for all of Canada. Toronto hosted both the Pan American and the Parapan American Games. The Games are one of the largest multi-sport events in the world, along with the Olympic Summer Games and the Asian Games. The Pan American Games (also known as the Pan Am Games) offer opportunities for thousands of top-notch athletes from North, Central, and South America and the Caribbean to compete in a variety of summer sports. The Parapan American Games welcome athletes with physical disabilities. The Games offer great pageantry, excitement, and sportsmanship to sports fans and residents alike.

B. The Pan Am Games started in 1951 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The first Parapan Am Games were held in Mexico City in 1999. The Games have grown in size with each passing year: participation has increased from 2,500 athletes representing 14 nations at the first competition to over 6,000 contenders from 41 countries at the last games. Both the Pan Am and Parapan Am Games take place every four years, in the year before the Summer Olympics and Paralympic Games. Thirty-six sports (eight more than the official Olympic sports) are now featured at the Games. Pan Am sports not found at the Olympics include bowling, karate, baseball, and squash.

C. The celebration of the Pan American Games features such rituals and emblems as its own flag, torch, and anthem, in addition to opening and closing ceremonies. Each event also has a mascot—an animal or human figure representing the cultural heritage of the host country. This helps to create a distinct identity and promote the Games. The official mascot of the Toronto Games was Pachi the Porcupine, an animal native to Canada. His depiction was created by a group of eighth grade students from Markham, Ontario. Four friends put their heads together, spent two months perfecting their porcupine, and won the highly competitive Mascot Creation Challenge.

D. The 2015 Games were not the first for Canada; Winnipeg, Manitoba, has welcomed renowned athletes from the Americas twice in the past. The most recent Pan Am and Parapan Am Games brought in over 10,000 athletes, coaches, and delegates, along with as many as 250,000 visitors who came to cheer them on. This major international event created immense opportunities for all Canadians, helping to showcase Toronto and Ontario to an international audience, as well as attracting tourists, developing jobs, and encouraging new business investment. Beyond 2015, the Games will provide housing, transportation, educational, and recreational legacies for decades to come.

E. Not given in any of the above paragraphs.