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Take me out to the ballgame! Don't miss BASOC's 3rd Annual BASOC Night at Pac Bell Park! The event will be held on Wednesday, May 29, 2002 beginning at 5:30 pm. The evening begins with a buffet dinner on the Club House level, followed by an exciting match-up at 7:30 pm - Giants vs. the 2001 World Series Champs the Arizona Diamondbacks!! Tickets are $50 (includes both dinner and ticket to the game) and are on sale now.
Questions? Please contact Berta Lim at 650-856-2234 or berta@basoc2012.org.
The 7th World University Taekwondo Championship of FISU will be held June 12-15, 2002 at the University of California, Berkeley. Thirty-five countries from six continents will participate with teams of 8 male contestants and 8 female contestants in Haas Pavilion. For more information and how to register your university, check out: http://www.ucmap.org/events/wutc2002
The USOC Bid site inspection team will be back to the San Francisco Bay Area on July 14-15. BASOC will take the USOC on a tour of several sports venues identified in the San Francisco Olympic Bid. BASOC will host the USOC team at a reception that will showcase the commitment of BASOC, the Bay Area, and its Olympians.
Come and watch some of the world's most elite athletes compete in one of the most challenging Olympic events the Modern Pentathlon. This five-event competition requires expertise in the fields of athletics, equestrian, fencing, swimming, and shooting. Don't miss this once in a lifetime opportunity!
This second annual event promises to be even better than last year's inaugural golf tournament that raised $100,000. Many Olympians and other professional athletes will participate in the day to help raise funds for the
San Francisco Bay Area's 2012 Olympic Bid. Corporate foursomes are now available for $5,000 per team. Call Helen Mendel, BASOC Director of Marketing, at 925-426-5339 for more information or to reserve your team.
From Thursday, January 17 to Saturday, January 19, the Olympic Torch Relay steered its way North throughout the Bay Area on its way to the upcoming Winter Olympic Games in Salt Lake City, Utah. At each location thousands of Olympic fans mobbed the streets to catch a glimpse of the passage of the Olympic flame. Hundreds of Bay Area residents took part as torch bearers in this unique event, including such notable figures as Willie Mays, Barry Bonds, and our very own BASOC CEO and President, Anne Cribbs.
In San Jose, Oakland, and San Francisco, BASOC volunteers rallied together to help collect discarded Coca-Cola bottles as part of BASOC's commitment to the environment. Wearing BASOC t-shirts and wielding garbage bags,
supporters followed the Torch route to ensure that the area looked even better than it had before the relay came through - a small-scale analogy to BASOC's hopes for the legacy of the 2012 San Francisco Olympic Games to the entire Bay Area.
We all look forward to the Olympic torch relay making its way through these same Bay Area cities on its way to
Stanford Stadium for Opening Ceremonies in July 2012!
On Monday, January 14, BASOC held its first training session for its Speakers Bureau, "Talking for 2012". In a special training designed for Olympic athletes, more than 30 representatives from past Olympic competitions
gathered together to support BASOC's bid and learn its key messages.
Emmy-award winning television sports anchor, Mark Ibanez, made a special guest appearance to share his speaking expertise. BASOC now has a band of motivated and knowledgeable Olympians ready to spread its message to clubs, schools, and organizations as well as to friends and peers!
Two more "Talking for 2012" trainings have already been scheduled and BASOC welcomes the presence of Board Members, volunteers, and supporters at each one. Details are as follows:
SAN FRANCISCO - Monday, February 4: 6:00-8:30 p.m., Thelen Reid & Priest, 101 2nd Street, San Francisco. For logistical information, driving directions, and to RSVP to attend, please contact Craig Weicker at cweicker@att.net or 650-255-8601.
EAST BAY - Wednesday, February 6: 6:30-9:00 p.m., Metropolitan Transportation Commission, 101 8th Street, Oakland. For logistical information, driving directions, and to RSVP to attend, please contact Jan Ahlman at JanetAhlman@aol.com or 510-490-6536.
Counting down the days to the XIX Winter Olympiad, organizers of the Opening Ceremonies on Feb. 8 are promising the biggest names in the music industry. 'These performers will help celebrate our theme Light the Fire Within' and the power of the Olympics in what promises to be the show of a lifetime,' said Mitt Romney, President and CEO of the Salt Lake Organizing Committee.
One of the high points of the Opening Ceremonies at Rice-Eccles Olympic Stadium will be the arrival of the Olympic Torch, completing a 13,500-mile, 46-state relay across the United States. The torch will light a 130-foot-high cauldron made of steel and glass and weighing 40,000 pounds. The cauldron is surrounded by a triangular-shaped bluish glass that represents ice and is capped by a clear bowl that will display the 2002 Flame.
Going, going
The first-ever on-line auction of Olympic tickets, which ended Jan. 24, brought in more than $1 million. Since the first tickets were posted on www.eBay.com in May 2001, over 10,000 bids for some 1,000 pairs of tickets were registered. The highest bid stood at $11,100, for a pair of men's figure skating tickets. The majority of proceeds will fund the Paralympic Winter Games.
Just weeks from seeing his grandson become a third-generation Olympian, America's oldest living Olympic gold medalist died Jan. 22. Jack Shea died from injuries sustained in an automobile accident near his home in Lake Placid, N.Y. The 91-year-old Shea won two gold medals in speed skating in 1932. His son, Jim Shea Sr., competed in Nordic Combined in 1964 and grandson Jim Shea Jr. is a member of the 2002 U.S. Olympic Team in skeleton. The threesome formed the first three-generation Olympic family. "My grandfather always felt it was not who won the gold; it was truly about bringing the world together in a peaceful setting,' said Shea Jr. 'I plan on dedicating this year's Games to my grandfather.
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Records are bound to fall in the 2002 Games, and not just on snow and ice. A new IOC report says the Games will likely set several Olympic Winter Games records in marketing and broadcasting.
While Utah now commands the Olympics spotlight, it will soon shift to Athens, site of the 2004 Summer Olympic Games. IOC officials continue to express concern about the city's ability to meet the logistical demands of hosting the Games. Among other issues, the Athens organizing committee faces a projected shortage of 3,000 hotel rooms for visitors and officials at the Olympics. A six-member IOC inspection team, which visited Athens on Jan. 22, pressed organizers to resolve the problems. "Athens officials noted that construction is ahead of schedule at many Olympic venues but agreed 'the sense of urgency is now more apparent than ever.
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Overheard on the Torch Relay: 'I'm shaking and I don't even shake when I skate.' -- Michelle Kwan, six-time U.S. Figure Skating Champion, after carrying the Olympic Torch in Los Angeles.
From February 8th to the 24th, the eyes of the world will be on Salt Lake City as they host the 2002 Olympic Winter Games. This 19th Winter Olympiad marks the first return of the Winter Games to the United States since Lake Placid in 1980. Since then, the number of events, athletes, and participating countries has more than doubled. At the eve of the Games, Salt Lake City plans on hosting approximately 2,345 athletes and 1,800 officials from 80 countries - plus the opening and closing ceremonies.
As with every host city, the groundwork and planning for the Games began long ago. Salt Lake City was named the official site for the 19th Winter Olympiad back in 1995 after a thirty-year quest to host the event. Since then, the city has been constructing multi-million dollar venues and upgrading key city infrastructure. Some highlights include:
650 miles of fiber over mountainous terrain to ensure no Olympic game action is missed 45 times more bandwidth than the last Olympic Games in Nagano
Support for 388 trillion bits of data, every second, for 17 days, 158 Qwest trucks, and 600 technicians and staff volunteers
26,000 volunteers will also work onsite in every imaginable capacity to facilitate organization and the smooth operation of the Games themselves.
Two million tickets went on sale to the public, so Salt Lake hopes for great crowds to cheer on traditional Olympic favorites, such as skiing, figure skating and hockey as well as Olympic newcomers, the re-introduction of the Skeleton and Women's Bobsled.
The Opening Ceremony occurs the evening of Friday, February 8th. For the sixteen days following, if you enjoy the smooth running of the athletic competitions, know it's from the hard work and dedication of thousands who have been working for years to make it all come together.
Olympian Stacey Blumer's Olympic Torch run through San Francisco is a moment she will always treasure. It shines as bright in her heart as her Olympic experience in Nagano where she competed in Freestyle Aerial Skiing. Although she now calls San Francisco home, Stacey has spent most of her life on the East Coast. She grew up in Southington, Connecticut where she started skiing at the young age of six.
Stacey moved to San Francisco after the Games to intern at Schwab through their sponsorship of the U.S. Ski Team. With the help and advice of Dave Pottruck, Schwab CEO, Stacey was interviewed, hired, and trained to be a bond salesman.
Stacey took a few moments to share her Olympic Torch experience with us and why she thinks the Games should come to the San Francisco Bay Area.
How did it feel to carry the Torch through San Francisco?
Carrying the Torch was a dream. The best part was hanging out at the collection point where we went through orientation. They asked each of us to introduce ourselves and tell who nominated us and why. Hearing the other stories was very special. Even though the stories were sad, everyone was just excited about carrying the Torch.
When I finally got the Torch, I jogged to the bottom of the steps of City Hall and almost ran right past Mayor Willie
Brown. Then I got to go up the steps and there was a big photo op with Willie. I looked at him and said, "Wow, just imagine what it will be like when we get the Games here in San Francisco in 2012!" He agreed!
What is your most memorable Olympic moment?
At the Olympics, it was seeing Jonny Moseley bring home the first Gold medal of the Games for the USA. Since the Olympics it was carrying the Torch up the steps of San Francisco City Hall on January 18th.
Are you still involved with skiing?
I still ski for fun and I help out and guest coach a little with the programs in Tahoe. I also volunteer helping verify scores at the regional events in Tahoe.
Why should the Games come to the San Francisco Bay Area in 2012?
For the kids. I just think about the great programs that could come out of this for them.
Thanks Stacey for your inspiring story and continued support of BASOC!
Whenever the world's elite mountain bikers tour the trails of the renowned Domaine Chandon vineyards in Napa Valley, it is a homecoming of sorts for the sport. Located just 35 miles from the birthplace of mountain biking -- Marin County and Mount Tamalpais Domaine Chandon has played host to the opening event of the International Cycling Union's Cross Country World Cup for the past two years. It comes as no surprise then that this facility has been selected by BASOC as the Olympic Mountain Biking venue for 2012.
An Olympic event since 1996, mountain biking was pioneered in the Bay Area in the early 1980s. While plenty of Bay Area terrain has challenged the world's finest riders since then, only one destination has the property and the panache to host Olympic-caliber competition.
'The challenge is to marry a world-class venue with world-class trails,' says Domaine Chandon's Dan Marotto, and the winery has done just that. The course will present a number of challenges to riders while affording magnificent views to all spectators. Just 20 percent of the course is flat, and trails will take riders across a ridgeline and over three separate bridges. They will climb fields of granite, weave through underbrush on single track and descend winery roads to complete the narrow circuit.
Accommodations for visitors will be equally sophisticated. Domaine Chandon's own four-star restaurant will serve as the Olympic Family Lounge, and seating for more than 2,000 spectators is available at the Welcome Center which doubles as the start/finish area. The vineyards provide space for an additional 20,000 spectators who may wish to scout the course for the perfect view. 'The key to our success as a mountain biking venue is that we have so many great places to watch a race,' says Marotto.
According to Marotto, very few alterations will need to be made to host an Olympic event. Existing hiking trails and access roads form the basis for the circuit which has already been approved by the US Cycling Federation and NORBA, the body which governs off-road cycling. Officials and media will find their needs catered to in the Welcome Center, and as a vacation spot for hundreds of thousands of visitors each year, these makers of fine sparkling wine know a thing or two about hospitality. 'We offer our winery as a destination,' says Marotto. 'And with Olympic Mountain Biking, we can offer a world-class experience.'
Sebastian DeFrancesco, BASOC Volunteer and World Class Paralympian is showing everyone that goals and determination make you successful in this world. Sebastian is a five-time Paralympian in the sport of Table Tennis.
Sebastian, tell us about your background.
Well, I grew up and served proudly in the military during the Vietnam era. I made it through that conflict and was in Italy conducting some training exercises when I was involved in a jeep accident, which damaged my spinal cord and left me paralyzed. After many hospitals and rehabilitation, I got interested in sports. I started with table tennis, bowling and archery. Then worked up to more physical training and felt compelled to get more involved. So I decided to get competitive in table tennis. It gave me a new life.
What was your first exposure to major competition?
After endless hours of training and determination I made the 1982 U.S. National Paralympian Table Tennis Team. We then started playing more individuals around the country and internationally. I then went to the first ever Paralympian event in 1984 in England. It was a great honor to represent the USA and to be part of the first-ever Olympic event for Paralympians.
Tell us more about your Sydney experience.
Sydney was simply amazing. The people there are very knowledgeable and for the first time treated us as world-class athletes and not as handicapped people. There were thousands of people everywhere, the venues were sold out, the kids asked for autographs and all events were well publicized and on TV. This is what it's all about.
What is you training schedule now?
I work out regularly and also helping Coach a National Rugby Team and help with local Basketball teams and other sports. My next competition is in July when I will attend the first ever Team World Cup Championship. In May I will start my heavy-duty training where I practice at least 4 times a week for about 4 hours each day. My workouts include doing repetition drills, forehand and backhand drills for example. And as much playing time as I can get in.
Who has been your Mentor through all this?
My 2 recreational therapists who worked with me and trained with me had a big influence - Kirk Kirkindall got me started in sports during my rehabilitation while Tony Suza trained endlessly with me and traveled with me during those first years. Also a friendly rival competitor, Skip Wilkins, made me work harder. He has been an inspiration for me.
How did you become involved with BASOC and what is your role?
They contacted me after the Sydney Olympic Games and asked if we would like to help. I jumped at the opportunity. I am obviously working on the Paralympian aspect for the 2012 games. I'm excited how BASOC 2012 has made Paralympics a main focus of their package to bring the games to the Bay Area.
Do you have any words of advice to other people?
Dreams can come true. Follow your dreams. It's a wonderful dream to have and encourage everyone to stick with it.
Thanks Sebastian for sharing your story with us!
Last month, I wrote about all the great people that came together to make the 2000 Paralympics in Sydney a great experience. I have noticed that many people seem curious about what life in the Olympic Village is really like, so that will be the topic of this second part of the three-part series on the Sydney Paralympics.
The Olympic Village is designed to host over 10,000 athletes, coaches, and support staff for the Olympic Games. There are just over 4,000 athletes competing in the Paralympic Games, so for us it was spacious and comfortable. The organizing committee did an excellent job making sure all our needs were met during our three-week stay. One of the best things was that almost everything in the village was free to athletes, including food, cappuccinos, haircuts, treatments at the spa, sports massage, and even a pair of eyeglasses at the optometrist's office. They also gave us a magic coin so we could get free drinks from all the coke machines in the village. I was hoping it would still work when I returned home, but so far, no luck with that.
The dining hall was enormous. They served every kind of food imaginable. It was open 24 hours a day, which was great when we came home in the early hours of the morning after a night of celebrating in downtown Sydney (also, for the record, after our competition was over).
There were no cars allowed in the Village--only buses and a few mail trucks. It was easy to identify where the athletes were from by the flags or country names on their clothes. Most of the athletes were very friendly and enjoyed meeting each other and learning a little bit about each others' lives. For me, that was one of the best parts of living in the Village. Every bus ride or walk through the streets was an opportunity to get to know someone from a different part of the world and exchange Olympic pins or e-mail addresses.
All the different flags, banners, mascots, and signs that decorated the houses in the Village made it very colorful and festive. The Canadian team brought a life-size moose with them and put it on their roof. The houses were mostly two stories with eight bedrooms and two bathrooms. All the housing units had already been sold to local residents for use after the Games before we arrived there.
One of my favorite souvenirs of the Paralympics is the quilt from my bed, which the athletes were encouraged to take home. It is blue with the logo "Sydney 2000" printed across it in big letters. Now, when friends come to stay at my house, they can experience a small part of the Olympic Village when I put that quilt on their bed. It kept me warm on many cold nights in Sydney while I was dreaming about winning a gold medal.
More volunteers are needed to stage an Olympics than any other event that will ever be held in a host city. Not only do those who volunteer their time commit to the fourteen days of the Olympics themselves, but often to hours of training stretched over three to six months leading up to the Games. Being an Olympic volunteer is a great chance for the host city's citizens to perform public service, but the Games also rely on those city and state employees who perform public service every day in our hospitals, fire and police departments, and government offices.
Public service has been a long tradition for Jim Molinari, the State Director for the Office of U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein. His tenure with the San Francisco Police Department included a stint as Police Captain, and in 1994, he became a U.S. Marshall, which he served as until last year. Jim then became Director of the Northern California High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) and is BASOC's Security Theme Co-chair. We were recently able to speak to Jim about his latest venture in public service.
How did you first become involved with BASOC and what is your current role?
One of the original BASOC board members, George Broder, is a friend of mine and he asked me to attend a few of the board meetings. He knew about my years of experience in security and law enforcement and thought I'd be a good addition to the BASOC team. I took on the role of Co-Chair of the Security Theme Team with Alameda Chief of Police, Burney Matthews, and we worked on that section of the bid together.
As Co-Chair of the Security Theme Team, what will you be focusing on over the next year leading up to the selection of the U.S. Bid City?
I was recently able to take a trip to Salt Lake City with Burney Matthews to have a closer look at the types of security being used for the Olympic Winter Games this month. We had a chance to review their plans and see their venues where all of the security measures are already in place. Now that we are back, Burney and I plan to hold several meetings with the security team to review what we saw and bring the others up to speed.
What will be the biggest changes in security planning in light of the September 11th attacks?
Prior to September 11th there was less need to have a large police presence at unpaid events where few or none of the athletes are present, but now we have to consider the safety of the public to an even greater degree. It will mean a much larger police presence at the Games.
What role does Senator Feinstein's office have in BASOC's planning?
Before I began work here, the Senator's office was involved with supporting the California legislation needed to allow BASOC to continue their bidding process. Senator Feinstein supports BASOC and she is currently working on issues surrounding the Moffet Field base closure. The base is transitioning from government to private ownership, and is where the Olympic Athletes' Village is going to be built.
Do you have a favorite Olympic memory or moment?
Basketball has always been my favorite sport to watch in the Olympics and I really enjoyed the swimming competition in Sydney in 2000. All of the races were so close that you could feel the electricity and drama through the television. I also remember the U.S. ice hockey win over Russia as being one of our country's greatest victories.
Is there any event you've never seen live that you'd like to attend here in 2012?
There seems to be no better venue for track and field competition than at the Olympics, so I would really like to see those events here at Stanford Stadium in 2012!
Thanks, Jim, for taking some time to speak with us and good luck in your continuing efforts!
The San Francisco Bay Area is now nine months away from an announcement on the American Bid City for the 2012 Olympic Games. The recent Salt Lake City Torch Relay through our region has helped the Bay Area grow thirsty for the 2012 Games. A long time BASOC sponsor who always quenches the Bay Area's thirst is the Horizon Beverage Company. For six years running, Horizon has been awarded the Ambassador Award by Anheuser Busch for being a top distributor. Horizon is part of the consortium of Bay Area Anheuser Busch Wholesalers.
Ces Butner joined Horizon in 1981 and bought it six years later, then the youngest such owner in the country. He is sure that BASOC will succeed before the United States Olympic Committee this fall. Speaking with utter confidence he exclaimed, 'Two reasons we're going to win. First, the venues are most conducive to the athletes. Secondly, we have environmentally sustainable venues.' His explanation of the second point is that we are on the ball regarding environmental impact analyses and preparations. He also explained San Francisco's status as a world class city is necessary to compete with the likes of Paris and Toronto.
Horizon has been a contributor to BASOC financially as well as with product donations at events. It is an official BASOC Founder. BASOC CEO Anne Cribbs adds, "Ces Butner is a long time member of BASOC and a great supporter of sports in the Bay Area. Ces and Horizon Beverage provided the leadership in seeking a Bronze Level Contribution from Anheuser Busch Northern California distributors, and as a bonus, Ces is our representative to Oakland and the East Bay. He conducts his responsibilities as a BASOC Executive Committee member with excitement, enthusiasm and insight.'
Please send comments, suggestions, and questions to: BASOC E-Newsletter, Attn: Berta Lim, 2479 E. Bayshore Road, Suite 703, Palo Alto, CA 94303, info@basoc2012.org
BASOC e-newsletter writing provided by dedicated BASOC volunteers, editing by Berta Lim, and writing and editing by Elizabeth Faletti of The Write Stuff! - Berkeley, CA (510) 486-1843.
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