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Boro Residents To Participate In Dec. 23rd Olympic Torch Relay The Olympic Torch, which is on a 65-day, 13,500 mile journey from Greece to Salt Lake City for the 2002 Winter Olympics, will be carried by a succession of residents through Brooklyn as part of the Salt Lake 2002 Olympic Torch Relay on Sunday, December 23. The torch will come to Brooklyn from Staten Island via the Verranzano Bridge. The torch will make its down 92nd Street towards Grand Army Plaza. It will then make its way to the Brooklyn Museum of Art for a brief ceremony and then go on its way towards Queens. "The Olympic Torch embodies the true spirit of the Olympic Games - bringing the world together, celebrating competition and pursuing one’s dreams," said NYC2012 President Daniel L. Doctoroff, who’s leading New York’s bid to become the U.S. Candidate City for the 2012 Olympic Games. "We are excited that the torch will travel through so much of New York City en route to Utah and the Salt Lake City Games, which we know will be a great success." The Olympic Torch Relay began at the 1928 Olympic Games with the lighting of a torch in Olympia, Greece by the rays of the sun. Once the Olympic Flame is ignited it is kept in a lantern that travels with the Relay. Then a torch is lit from the flame every morning to start that day’s leg of the Relay. The Olympic Flame is passed from torch to torch. The lantern is closely guarded to ensure that the flame is never extinguished. In keeping with tradition, the 2002 Olympic Flame was lit in Olympia, Greece on November 19th. It was then brought to the United States for the start of the Salt Lake 2002 Olympic Torch Relay. This year’s tour began in Atlanta, Georgia (site of 1996 Olympic Summer Games) on December 4, and will pass through New Jersey, Staten Island, Brooklyn, Queens, Manhattan, the Bronx and Westchester. The relay culminates with the lighting of the Olympic cauldron at the opening ceremonies of the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City on February 8, 2002. The Olympic Flame will pass through 46 U.S. states, as each torchbearer will carry the flame approximately two-tenths of a mile of the course. In addition to torchbearers, the Olympic Flame will be transported by automobile, airplane, train, ship, dog sled, skier, horse-drawn sleigh, snowmobile, ice skaters, prairie schooner and other unique modes. Torchbearers were nominated by family members, friends and colleagues who wrote a 50-100-word essay explaining how the nominees embodied the Olympic Spirit and provided inspiration to their communities. The Salt Lake Organizing Committee (SLOC) accepted nominations last March and Aprl. Following the events of September 11 in New York City, Washington DC and Pennsylvania an additional number of people were nominated as honorary torchbearers. The nominees include firefighters, police officers, rescue personnel, as well as family members and friends of those who lost their lives. Information about NYC2012 can be found at www.nyc2012.com or by calling (212) 953-2012.
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