Chicago 2016 says it has reaffirmed its commitment to welcome the world in friendship in 2016 by announcing a new tagline that the bid committee says furthers its vision of the Games.
The new tagline “Let Friendship Shine” is the sentiment that the bid committee looks to reach out to the world as it prepares its bid for the 2016 Summer Olympic Games.
The International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) Evaluation Commission will be in Chicago in April to inspect the city’s bid.
Patrick G. Ryan, chairman and CEO of Chicago 2016 says, “Chicago is known for its warm and welcoming people and its hospitable nature, and we hope to demonstrate this to the Evaluation Commission next month. We know that many friendships are formed between athletes and fans of different nations because of the Games. The historic friendship of Olympians Jesse Owens and Luz Long is just one example of a friendship formed because of the Games”.
Jesse Owens grandson hand-delivered Chicago’s Candidature File to the IOC last month.
Chicago 2016 says it plans to reinforce friendship in a number of programmatic elements, including ways that allow friendships to be built both off and on-line. Friends from around the world can reportedly connect with Chicago 2016 through the bid’s Facebook fan page, as well as through Twitter, YouTube and Flickr. The tagline will be an underlying message in other bid-related materials and will appear in a visible way across the city in marketing and advertising materials.
The bid committee is also celebrating National Friendship Day on August 2, two months ahead of the 2016 host city announcement in Copenhagen, Denmark.
Ryan said, “striving to be an Olympian or Paralympian is an outstanding goal and achievement that takes years of hard work, dedication and commitment. Not everyone can be an Olympian, but anyone can be a friend and hopefully become a friend of Chicago 2016 and the Olympic Movement”.
