With 100 days to go until the Host City election, the country unites behind Chicago 2016 to celebrate the Olympic Movement

Chicago, IL (June 24, 2009)—Chicago 2016, the City of Chicago and the U.S. Olympic Committee (USOC) spearheaded efforts encouraging cities around the United States to celebrate Olympic Day on June 23. Olympic Day is the worldwide commemoration of the first International Olympic Committee meeting and the founding of the modern Olympic Games. In all, 158 cities from 43 states held Olympic Day celebrations, which included fun runs, lectures, sport competitions and demonstrations and were attended by more than 200 Olympic and Paralympic athletes.

In Chicago, 30,000 kids participated in fun runs across the city, including 1,000 youth in Washington Park, the proposed site of the Olympic Stadium. Later in the day, 1,200 adults took part in a fun run that finished at North Avenue Beach—just north of the city center and the proposed site of the triathlon and Paralympic road cycling course—where 3,000 athletes were competing in 21 sports.

“We are beyond pleased with the overwhelming support from cities across the nation for Olympic Day, and applaud their efforts to introduce youth to the values and ideals of the Olympic Movement,” said Patrick G. Ryan, chairman and CEO of Chicago 2016.

An estimated 20,000 people attended the Olympic Day celebration and sports extravaganza on North Avenue Beach, which was capped off by a special performance by two popular bands, the Freddy Jones Band and Elevation. More than 30 Olympic and Paralympic athletes attended Chicago’s celebration, including Mike Day, Josh George, Paul Hamm, April Holmes, Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Carli Lloyd, Connie Moore, Paul Moran, Matt Scott and Jason Wening.

“The event at North Avenue Beach integrated sport and celebration on our beautiful lakefront and parklands—and provided a small taste of what the city would be like if Chicago is awarded the honor of hosting the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games,” said Ryan.

At the recent U.S. Conference of Mayors, Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley encouraged mayors from across the country to host Olympic Day celebrations promoting physical activity, sport participation and the Olympic values.

Misty May-Treanor celebrated with Honolulu Mayor Mufi Hannemann—Mayor Daley’s co-chair on the Olympic Task Force in the U.S. Conference of Mayors. In Dallas, Olympians Nastia Liukin, Kerri Strug and Carley Patterson attended an event with Dallas Mayor Tom Leppert. In Washington, D.C., U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan spoke about the Olympic values at a ceremony with Olympian Nathaniel Mills at his speed skating summer camp. Olympian Dara Torres attended Olympic Day in Coral Springs, Florida, and Paralympian Myles Porter attended the event in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

The USOC celebrates Olympic Day annually by coordinating events at the U.S. Olympic Training Centers and official training sites, as well as activities with the U.S. National Governing Bodies of sport and affiliated multisport organizations.

“Olympic Day celebrations around the United States truly demonstrated the support of the entire country for brining the Olympic and Paralympic Games to Chicago in 2016,” said USOC Acting Chief Executive Officer Stephanie Streeter. “The USOC, along with many of our great Olympians and Paralympians, was proud to be part of this effort. As we enter this final stretch before the Host City announcement, it is evident that there is a national passion for the Olympic Movement and for hosting the Games in the U.S.”

As the campaign moves into the last 100 days until the Host City decision, the bid committee will debut a new public-service announcement (PSA) that depicts the Chicago 2016 baton being passed around the country—symbolizing the widespread support nationally to bring the Games to Chicago. Chicago 2016 distributed batons—a symbol of friendship and Chicago’s bid for the Games—to the cities and Olympic and Paralympic athletes that participated in Olympic Day.

About Chicago 2016
Chicago 2016 is a 501(c)(3) corporation whose mission is to seek the privilege of hosting the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Chicago. The committee’s board consists of business, civic, athletic, cultural and academic leaders representing Chicago and the surrounding Midwest region. Patrick Ryan serves as the organization’s chairman and CEO.

About the U.S. Olympic Committee
The United States Olympic Committee (USOC) is recognized by the International Olympic Committee as the sole entity in the United States whose mission involves training, entering and underwriting the full expenses for the U.S. teams in the Olympic, Paralympic, Pan American and Parapan American Games. In addition to being the steward of the U.S. Olympic Movement, the USOC is the moving force for support of sports in the United States that are on the program of the Olympic, Paralympic, Pan American and Parapan American Games.

Contact:
Chicago 2016 Media Line
+1 312-861-4826
media@chicago2016.org