World Sport Chicago to Participate in Mayor Daley's Holiday Sports Fest
CHICAGO (December, 2008)—In December, Chicago 2016 and World Sport Chicago (WSC) announced its participation in Mayor Daley’s Holiday Sports Fest, December 27 – December 29, at McCormick Place. As part of the three-day event, Chicago 2016 and WSC will offer Chicagoland youth the opportunity to learn about and take part in a cross-section of Olympic and Paralympic sports. Admission is free with activities taking place daily from 10 AM – 4 PM. More than 80,000 kids are expected to attend this year’s event.
Chicago 2016 and WSC had a large interactive area located in the North Hall in the North Building of McCormick Place where kids participated in badminton and wrestling tournaments, view demonstrations and exhibitions by elite athletes, Olympians and Paralympians, and took part in other activities.
Some of the more non-traditional Olympic sports were showcased in the interactive area to create more awareness of sports such as fencing, archery, badminton, rowing, judo, team handball, wrestling, table tennis and Paralympic table tennis. Local sports clubs and organizations were running the interactive activities. Kids had the opportunity to learn about and participate in each of the sports, and obtained information on where they can get involved in each specific sport in the Chicagoland area
“As a Candidate City, we strive to enhance the City of Chicago and provide outlets for educating youth about sport in fun and interactive ways,” said Patrick G. Ryan, chairman and CEO of Chicago 2016. “We would like to thank Mayor Daley for his dedication to our efforts and for bringing innovative programming to the kids of Chicago.”
Additionally, SportFit, an initiative of 2010 Legacies Now supported by the Government of Canada and Province of British Columbia, was available for kids to use. SportFit gave kids an opportunity to take a survey and participate in a series of activity stations designed to connect kids to the sports that best fit their physical strengths and personal interests. Based on the results, participants received a personalized certificate which identified the top three sports they are best suited for.
“As the living legacy of Chicago 2016, World Sport Chicago’s aim is to educate and excite youth about Olympic and Paralympic sport,” said Bill Scherr, chairman of World Sport Chicago. “Mayor Daley’s Holiday Sports Fest provides us with an interactive way to get the youth of Chicago to experience sport, ultimately generating interest for Olympic and Paralympic sport.”
Some of the other sports featured at the event were track and field, javelin, gymnastics, boxing, basketball, volleyball, the discus and the shot put.
Throughout the weekend, representatives from Chicago 2016 were on hand to provide information about the bid. Attendees also learned about the different ways to volunteer and support Chicago 2016.
To view more photos from Mayor Dalye's Holiday Sports Fest, please visit our Flickr page.
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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 World Sport Chicago
World Sport Chicago (WSC) is an Illinois not-for-profit working to enhance the image, awareness and participation in Olympic sports across Chicago and to extend Chicago’s international outreach through and for sport and youth. Focused on promoting the development of recreational and competitive sport to the area’s youth, WSC works closely with Chicago 2016 and Chicago’s 2016’s Athlete Advisory Counsel (AAC) to provide sport expertise and athlete insight to the execution of these sporting events. WSC intends to aid Chicago in developing a sustainable, international sporting legacy as a real agent of social change for the city. William Scherr, an Olympic medalist in wrestling, is chairman of the board and Scott Myers serves as the executive director.
Contact:
Mica Matsoff
+1.312.861.4826 (Chicago 2016 media line)
media@chicago2016.org