Area business leaders, Olympians and Paralympians rallied on a street corner in Washington Monday to support the region’s 2012 Summer Olympics Bid.
When members of the USOC evaluation team visit Washington Friday and Saturday they are sure to notice five colourful banners hanging from buildings in the District and on the University of Maryland campus in College Park.
The banners were paid for by corporate sponsors of the Chesapeake Region 2012 Coalition, the group spearheading Washington’s Olympic bid. The coalition also took out full-page poster advertisements in The Washington Times and The Washington Post.
On Friday the inspection team will tour regional venues including RFK Stadium and the University of Maryland, College Park. There will be a reception Friday evening.
Formal presentations take place Saturday followed by a joint press conference to discuss overall impressions of the site visit, and the selection process.
Discussing the visit, John Morton 111, Chairman of Washington DC 2012 said, “the USOC Site Evaluation Team visit is a critical milestone in our region’s final push for the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. We are confident that we have a low-risk, high reward plan that is not only welcoming and accommodating to the athletes, but is also affordable and friendly to every visitor who enters our region. We are undoubtedly excited and stand ready to host the Olympic and Paralympic Games”.
And Dan Knise, President and CEO of Washington, DC 2012 added, “our desire is to win. We have a solid and feasible plan, and we are excited to demonstrate to the USOC how we can execute it. We believe more than ever that we have the drive and capability to go all the way—to be named the U.S. candidate city in November and bring home the gold”.
