If you’re constantly searching the Internet for funny or incredible video clips, look no further than theinitiative2010.blogspot.com.

There you’ll find a collection of professional quality, entertaining, sometimes quirky, amusing videos that help tell the story of what local youth did during the Olympics in Whistler.

Watch a crowd gather as an impromptu bingo game gets started in the middle of Whistler Village, sing along to the catchy spaghetti song as a spontaneous musical takes over a local restaurant, and marvel at how many people were willing to put their chewing gum on display.

The Initiative was a Games-time project for Sea to Sky corridor youth, led by the Whistler Youth Centre in partnership with Whistler Live, Whistler Community Services Society and other organizations. Instead of organizing things like volleyball games and other common activities to engage youth during the Olympics, Youth Centre staff and others brainstormed ideas for fun, improvisational things for young people to do, said Caroline Stroud, recreation programmer at the Youth Centre.

“We wanted to do something different,” she said. “It was just a lot of fun and there was a good reaction from a lot of people.”

Rae Becke, 15, said she did everything from interview people on camera and film scenes to editing and helping organize the different activities. Becke lives in Ottawa but had the chance to spend a semester at Whistler Secondary School and stay in town through the Olympics.

“It was just so cool for the youth to get to have a voice in the Olympics,” she said. “You got to be part of it and you got to influence it in a small way.”

Becke said her favourite Initiative activity was the Gum Wall, where people were offered gumballs and a chance to make their mark with a letter or design made of chewed gum. She said everyone from police officers to athletes from the Ukraine got involved in the stunt.

“Everyone was stopping to participate in this one ridiculous thing,” she said. “I just think that was really cool.”

The “freeze” on the Village Stroll, which saw a group of people stop dead in the middle of various activities, and the restaurant musical were other highlights, Becke said.

“Getting to participate in something at the Olympics just made everything more memorable,” she said.

While a big goal for the Initiative was for local youth to have fun during the Games, it was also a chance for them to learn and practice skills such as digital editing, filming, acting, and other multimedia activities, Stroud said. Thanks to grants from Whistler Live and the B.C. Healthy Living Alliance, the Youth Centre was able to purchase cameras and other equipment for the youth to use for future projects, she said.

“I think it’s great when youth can learn at the same time they’re having a good time,” Stroud said.

Youth from Squamish, Pemberton and Mount Currie also got involved in some of the activities, she said. Four students from Capilano University volunteered their time to help mentor the youth and help out.

“Our youth really got along well with these guys,” Stroud said. “It could not have been done without their help.”

Various local businesses also donated materials and services to help the activities become a reality.

“So many different groups helped,” she said.

The Initiative short films were broadcast on screens throughout the Village as part of Whistler Live programming during the Olympics, and Stroud said the plan is for some of the videos to be shown again during the Paralympics. In the meantime, visit theinitiative2010.blogspot.com to check them out.