Chicago 2016 ended a weeklong celebration of Olympic and Paralympic sport with a Field Day across the city. Fifty Chicago-area elementary schools participated in sports competitions and a Closing Ceremony to mark the conclusion of a series of activities designed to educate students about the values of the Olympic Movement.
Pat Ryan, chairman and CEO of Chicago 2016 said, “one of our primary motivations for pursuing the Games is the impact it could have on the youth of Chicago and the region for generations to come. Students who are in sixth grade now will be around the age of the majority of Olympians and Paralympians in 2016, so some of them might be competing before their hometown crowd”.
The week was divided into five themed days: Monday was the Opening Ceremony, Tuesday was Teacher for a Day, Wednesday was Arts and Culture Day, Thursday – Paralympic Sports Day, and Friday was Field Day. Olympians and Paralympians made visits to selected schools on each day to talk about their experiences with the Games, participate in sport demonstrations, and impress upon the students the importance of hard work and perseverance in achieving long-term goals.
