|
October 26, 2002 -- Demonstrating
the Bay Area's enthusiasm for hosting the
2012 Olympic Games, thousands rallied to
support San Francisco 2012 at events in
San Francisco, Oakland and San Jose on Saturday,
October 26th. The rallies sent a strong
message of support for the San Francisco
Bay Area's bid to host the 2012 Olympic
Games just days before the United States
Olympic Committee chooses the U.S. Candidate
for the 2012 Olympic Games.
Olympians, Olympic hopefuls and local athletes
demonstrated 28 Olympic sports at San Francisco's
Yerba Buena Gardens, Oakland's Jack London
Square and San Jose's Spartan Stadium.
"Today we're sending a message to the USOC
that San Francisco and the Bay Area welcome
and want the 2012 Olympic Games," said San
Francisco Mayor Willie Brown, addressing
the crowd of bid supporters and San Francisco
Giants fans in Yerba Buena Gardens before
Game 6 of the World Series.
San Francisco Lightweight Boxer and Olympic
aspirant Santos Sanchez III gave a boxing
demonstration and talk. "To compete in the
Olympic Games in my hometown, before my
family and the world, would be a dream come
true," said Sanchez. "This is definitely
the place where the athletes will achieve
their best."
BASOC/SF2012 President & CEO and 1960
Olympic swimmer Anne Cribbs led a halftime
celebration of the Bay Area's 2012 Olympic
Bid at the San Jose State Spartans' football
game. Dozens of Bay Area Olympians and over
one hundred SF2012 volunteers unfurled a
giant American flag to cover the football
field during the halftime ceremonies.
In Oakland, 2000 Olympians Sebastian Bea
and Ted Murphy demonstrated their Silver
Medal-winning rowing skills in San Francisco
Bay to kick off the Olympic sport demonstrations
in Jack London Square.
"With 91% community support, the entire
Bay Area is united behind our bid," said
Oakland resident and 1984 Olympic fencer
Barbra Higgins. "The San Francisco Bay Area
is the best bid for the athletes, the best
bid to win internationally and the best
bid to produce a surplus to fund the future
of the U.S. Olympic Movement."
|
