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UPS Olympic Sports Legacy Delivers Inspiration To The Next Generation Of Olympic Hopefuls
Editors Note: June 13 is 94 days to the Opening Ceremony for the 2000 Olympic Games and June 23 is Olympic Day.
BALTIMORE, June 13, 2000 - This summer, millions of children will watch their sports heroes compete in the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia, and dream of following in their footsteps.
The UPS Olympic Sports Legacy program will help children throughout the world take their first steps towards their Olympic dreams by donating $1.5 million of sports equipment.
As new sports equipment is delivered to selected youth organizations, children will actively participate in the special UPS delivery events by helping to present the equipment and demonstrate its use. The 2000 - 2001 UPS Olympic Sports Legacy program kicked off with delivery events in San Juan, Puerto Rico, last weekend and Baltimore, Md., today. At each delivery event Olympic or other notable athletes from their community will visit with the children, demonstrate how to use the equipment and give tips on playing their sports.
UPS will donate and deliver equipment to 20 youth organizations in 11 U.S. cities plus Australia, Canada, China, Puerto Rico, Romania and Russia, building on the legacy of similar deliveries in 17 cities around the world in 1998. Since the program's launch, UPS has helped more than 220,000 children in 10 countries foster dreams of becoming Olympic athletes by donating in excess of 600,000 pieces of new sports equipment.
"We are hoping to inspire the next generation of Olympic hopefuls," said Rosemary Windsor, vice president of UPS Olympic and Corporate Events. "Working through these beneficiary organizations allows UPS to build instructional programs that increase access and participation by more children, a benefit to the kids as well as to the communities where they live."
One of the first U.S. organizations to receive its equipment from UPS is the Baltimore Police Athletic League (PAL), which provides sports programs in a safe and nurturing environment to 7,000 boys and girls in its 18 area centers. PAL will receive more than 4,000 pieces of equipment for its baseball, softball, soccer, table tennis and volleyball programs.
"Our mission is to reduce juvenile crime while promoting and advancing the welfare of youth in the community," said Vanessa Milio, Deputy Executive Director for Baltimore PAL. "PAL's programs offer youth a safe, positive setting where they can participate in alternatives to risk-taking behavior. The UPS Olympic Sports Legacy program helps us extend our sports programs so that even more children can benefit year round."
Organizations benefiting from the 2000-2001 UPS Olympic Sports Legacy include:
Ciudad Deportiva Roberto Clemente, San Juan, Puerto Rico; Police Athletic League (PAL), Baltimore, Md.; Boys and Girls Club, Cincinnati,Ohio; PAL, Long Beach, Calif.; PAL, Boston, Mass.; PAL, Indianapolis, Ind.; Boys and Girls Club, Charlotte, N.C.; PAL, Minneapolis, Minn.; LA Boys and Girls Club, New Orleans, La.; Shanghai Children Welfare Institution, Shanghai, China; YWCA, Oklahoma City, Okla.; YMCA, Seattle, Wash.; Boys and Girls Club, Fredericton, NB, Canada; YMCA, Trenton, N.J.; Boys and Girls Club, Montreal, PQ, Canada; Boys and Girls Club, Toronto, ON, Canada; Boys and Girls Club, Moncton, NB, Canada; Police & Community Youth Clubs NSW Limited, Sydney, NSW, Australia; Moscow, Russia and Bucharest, Romania.
The participating organizations for 2000-2001 were selected from UPS's 11 U.S and four international operating regions with input from the International Olympic Committee (IOC), National Olympic Committees (NOC) and Olympic Games organizing committees.
UPS Olympic Sports Legacy equipment donations are just the beginning of the impact on communities' youth athletics. Near the one-year anniversary of the equipment donation in 2001, UPS plans to return to each beneficiary to host a reunion to celebrate achievements made by the center and children since the equipment was received. UPS also has introduced the UPS Olympic Sports Legacy Award to recognize one individual in each participating organization for sportsmanship, community service and academic achievement. UPS honors the recipient with a special grant in the child's name to the beneficiary during the reunion ceremonies, with nearly $100,000 in grants being distributed last year.
A worldwide Olympic Partner since 1994, UPS provides global expertise and services to the IOC, NOCs, Olympic Games Organizing Committee, sports federations and national teams. UPS is the world's largest express carrier and package delivery company, serving more than 200 countries and territories with nearly 344,000 employees worldwide.
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