It was the first day of the United States Olympic Committee’s (USOC) inspection of Los Angeles’ bid to become the US candidate for the 2016 Summer Olympic Games, but it was L.A.’s competitor Chicago 2016 that received a boost.
Nearly 2,000 people attended a fundraiser called “You Can Make It Happen” at McCormick Place Thursday, the proposed site of 12 Olympic competitions venues where $9.4 million was raised for Chicago’s Olympic bid, more than three times what organizers had anticipated just a week ago reports the Associated Press.
Chicago’s bid has now raised more then $30 million – $10 million more than the USOC expected the bid cities to have by March 31.
Patrick G. Ryan, the city’s chief Olympic organizer, said in a statement, “while we have exceeded the minimum the USOC required us to have at our disposal we will continue to ask for support as the process evolves”.
Last week Chicago 2016 organizers said they hoped to raise $3 million at the fundraiser.
The fundraiser featured a live band, projection screens showing black-and-white reels of previous Olympics, and young athletes demonstrating gymnastics, tennis and other sports.
The USOC will be in Chicago next week to evaluate its bid.
