News Release
Friday, November 21, 2008
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Olympic Flame to Shine Bright in Charlottetown
CHARLOTTETOWN, PEI -- Residents of Charlottetown anxious to catch the Olympic Spirit will have the opportunity to see the Olympic Flame in person on November 21, 2009 as it passes through on its way towards the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games. The 2010 Olympic Torch Relay, presented by Coca-Cola and RBC, will reach over 90 per cent of Canadians within a one-hour drive. The torch relay route is available at vancouver2010.com and information on how residents can apply to be torchbearers can be found at icoke.ca and rbc.com/carrythetorch.
The following remarks were made by Mayor Clifford Lee:
It’s exciting for Charlottetown to celebrate the selection of our community as one of more than 1000 Canadian communities that will host the Olympic Flame as it travels from coast to coast to coast in the 100 days leading up to the Opening Ceremonies of the 2010 Winter Games.
It’s even more special that Charlottetown has been selected to host a Community Celebration, an opportunity for a limited number of communities to commemorate the Olympic Flame and the Olympic spirit in a different way and for a longer time than the moving torch relay provides. Our community will be able to host the Olympic Flame for the duration of the celebration and be recognized as “an Olympic community for the day.”
The Olympic Torch Relay, presented by Coca-Cola and RBC, represents an extraordinary opportunity to unify not only our community but all Canadians, generating tremendous pride in our nation while truly celebrating the coming of the Games.
As the Birthplace of Confederation, our community represents a dynamic and modern culture rooted deeply in the history of its people and expressed through the many talents and achievements of our citizens.
It is also an opportune time for our children to be able to learn what the journey to the 2010 Winter Games means for the aspiring athletes and how that translates into everyday life.
The 2010 Olympic Torch Relay is about starting each and every day full of hope, and ending every day knowing that we have shared our light and life with those around us. It’s not just the Torch that we pass, but the fire of friendship and inspiration.
Being selected as a route community on the 2010 Olympic Torch Relay will leave an enduring and profound legacy that will continue well after the flame is extinguished in 2010. Which is why today’s announcement marks a milestone moment in our community.
On behalf of the City of Charlottetown, I would like to congratulate RBC and Coca-Cola on the considerable investments and efforts they have made in partnership with VANOC to ensure that every Canadian has the opportunity to be inspired by the power of the Olympic Flame.
Charlottetown’s participation in the 2010 Olympic Torch Relay will certainly stand out as a memory to last a lifetime for us. Let’s tell our story and share our excitement with the world.
Mayor Lee also announced that Wayne Long, Events Development Officer for the City of Charlottetown, will serve as the Task Force Chairperson for the Torch Relay Community Celebration in Charlottetown. This is a proud moment for Wayne given his passion for the Olympic Movement and the fact that he is an Olympic Academy of Canada alumnus. Other Task Force community members will be announced early in the new year.
Residents interested in applying for a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to carry the Olympic Flame can apply at icoke.ca or rbc.com/carrythetorch. Coca-Cola and RBC, the relay’s presenting partners, have the exclusive rights for the public to enter the Olympic Torchbearer program and are looking for Canadian applicants who commit to live healthier or are inspired to create a stronger country by volunteering or making sustainable choices. There will be several opportunities to apply for torchbearer spots beginning on November 21, 2008.
The 2010 Olympic Torch Relay will begin its 106-day Canadian journey on October 30, 2009. The Flame’s pan-Canadian journey will culminate on February 12, 2010 when it arrives in Vancouver for the Opening Ceremony before a global viewing audience of billions.
The Vancouver 2010 Olympic Torch Relay route will be the longest domestic Torch Relay in Olympic history, stretching over 45,000 kilometres throughout Canada. Upon its conclusion, the Olympic Flame will have been welcomed in over 1,000 communities and passed within a one-hour of more than 90 per cent of the entire Canadian population.
The Government of Canada is a proud supporter of the Olympic Torch Relay helping to bring the Olympic Flame to as many Canadians as possible.
About VANOC
VANOC is responsible for the planning, organizing, financing and staging of the XXI Olympic Winter Games and the X Paralympic Winter Games in 2010. The 2010 Olympic Winter Games will be staged in Vancouver and Whistler from February 12 to 28, 2010. Vancouver and Whistler will host the Paralympic Winter Games from March 12 to 21, 2010. Visit vancouver2010.com for further details on programs and schedules.
For more information:
Wayne Long
Events Development Officer
City of Charlottetown
902.629.0496
wlong@city.charlottetown.pe.ca
