Olympic Torchbearers Revealed, Da (Former) Mayor to Run
At 74 years young, today former San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown was named a torchbearer for the controversial Olympic flame's San Francisco tour. The tireless--yes, tireless!-- advocate for human rights and environmental concerns will drag his crazy-old-coot ass out for next week's "sustainable journey" torch run.
Sustainable journey. Jesus Christ.
The entire torchbearer list hasn't been made public for fear Chris Daly will kick the crap out of the runners, or whatever. But the above list shows a smattering of those who clearly hate Tibet. More can be found here. For Newsom's mildly informative press release, including corporate sponsor picks--man, we remember when the games were about keeping young women from menstruating, not about dollars and cents--follow the jump.
MAYOR NEWSOM ANNOUNCES OLYMPIC TORCHBEARERS Salutes individuals carrying "Flame of Hope" through San Francisco on April 9San Francisco, CA — Calling them individuals of "inspiration, courage and selflessness," Mayor Gavin Newsom today announced the names of the individuals chose by the City and County of San Francisco who will carry the Olympic Torch through the streets of San Francisco on April 9, pending approval from the Beijing Organizing Committee of the Olympic Games (BOCOG). Speaking from Portsmouth Square in San Francisco's Chinatown, the Mayor was joined by 4 torchbearers –Edwin Lee, Todd Hallenbeck, Lisa Hartmayer, Marilyn King, Shirley Olivo, and Helen Zia – who are scheduled to carry the Olympic flame. San Francisco is the only North American stop on the worldwide 2008 Olympic Torch Relay in advance of the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China.
"These torchbearers represent the true spirit of the Olympic and Paralympic Games," said Mayor Newsom. "Their compelling stories and dedication to a world that can one day realize this year's theme of harmony are truly inspiring. I applaud their spirit and urge everyone to cheer them loudly as
they traverse through the streets of San Francisco."In support of the theme of the San Francisco leg of the Olympic Torch Relay, "A Sustainable Journey," 36 of the torchbearers were selected through an online application process at www.sustainablejourney.org by submitting essays describing their personal histories and their commitment to a sustainable community and future. More than 530 applications were received from the United States, Canada and Mexico. The esteemed application review panel included Chuck Collins of the YMCA, Governor Schwarzenegger's District Director Barbara Kaufman, Olympian and BASOC CEO Anne Cribbs, founder of the Rainforest Action Network Randy Hayes, \Convention and Visitor's Bureau Chief Financial Officer Tina Wu, and United States Olympic Committee (USOC) officials.
In addition to the 36 "Sustainable Journey" torchbearers, additional torchbearers were selected by Mayor Newsom, BOCOG, the USOC, and each of the relay's corporate sponsors: The Coca-Cola Company, Lenovo and Samsung, pending BOCOG approval.
The 2008 Olympic Torch Relay, sponsored by The Coca-Cola Company, Samsung and Lenovo, will travel to 22 international cities, including San Francisco, before returning to mainland China where it will traverse the country for more than three months. Having been carried by more than 21,000
runners, the flame will enter the Olympic Stadium as part of the Opening Ceremony of the XXIX Olympiad on August 8, 2008.