Winter Olympics 2010

Vancouver, BC — Over 2,000 pounds (900 kilograms) of surplus athlete medical and dental supplies and equipment from the 2010 Winter Games are being provided to Canadian medical teams in Haiti as part of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Truce program and as a legacy of the Games, with the first major shipment en route this weekend.  The Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC) has partnered together with the Canadian Forces to donate and deliver the much needed medical supplies in two stages – the first taking place this weekend and the second gradually over the coming weeks and months. A first shipment of approximately 1,000 pounds (450 kilograms) of supplies departs on Saturday for Port au Prince on a Canadian Forces CC-177 Globemaster from 8 Wing Trenton.  The supplies and equipment include a wide assortment of soft goods and surgical instruments ranging from bandages and suture kits to orthotic knee braces.  The medical supplies will be provided to Canadian Medical Assistance Teams (CMAT) who have been providing on the ground medical support in Haiti since the devastating earthquake there on January 12.  The remaining inventory of supplies will be collected and stored in Vancouver and shipped as required with CMAT doctors and volunteers as future teams are deployed to Haiti.   “With the conclusion of the Games, our legacy is in the things we continue to do that reflect the unity and friendship celebrated in the name of sport and the Olympic Truce,” said John Furlong, Chief Executive Officer for VANOC. “We’re grateful to the Canadian Forces for their invaluable partnership in delivering surplus Games medical goods, so that through CMAT we can support the people of Haiti as they continue to heal and rebuild.”  “Our medical team had access to top quality medical and dental equipment and supplies in support of athletes at the 2010 Games,” said Dr.

Vancouver, BC — Over 2,000 pounds (900 kilograms) of surplus athlete medical and dental supplies and equipment from the 2010 Winter Games are being provided to Canadian medical teams in Haiti as part of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Truce program and as a legacy of the Games, with the first major shipment en route this weekend.  The Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC) has partnered together with the Canadian Forces to donate and deliver the much needed medical supplies in two stages – the first taking place this weekend and the second gradually over the coming weeks and months. A first shipment of approximately 1,000 pounds (450 kilograms) of supplies departs on Saturday for Port au Prince on a Canadian Forces CC-177 Globemaster from 8 Wing Trenton.  The supplies and equipment include a wide assortment of soft goods and surgical instruments ranging from bandages and suture kits to orthotic knee braces.  The medical supplies will be provided to Canadian Medical Assistance Teams (CMAT) who have been providing on the ground medical support in Haiti since the devastating earthquake there on January 12.  The remaining inventory of supplies will be collected and stored in Vancouver and shipped as required with CMAT doctors and volunteers as future teams are deployed to Haiti.   “With the conclusion of the Games, our legacy is in the things we continue to do that reflect the unity and friendship celebrated in the name of sport and the Olympic Truce,” said John Furlong, Chief Executive Officer for VANOC. “We’re grateful to the Canadian Forces for their invaluable partnership in delivering surplus Games medical goods, so that through CMAT we can support the people of Haiti as they continue to heal and rebuild.”  “Our medical team had access to top quality medical and dental equipment and supplies in support of athletes at the 2010 Games,” said Dr.

Overtime pucks added to gold medal game pucks on sale at www.vancouver2010.com/auction Vancouver, BC – The permanent home of perhaps the most famous six ounces of hard rubber in hockey history – the puck with which Canada’s Sidney Crosby scored the winning goal on Team USA during the overtime period of the Olympic gold medal game – will go to the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto and four pucks used in the same overtime period are now available for purchase at www.vancouver2010.com/auction International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) President René Fasel and Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC) CEO John Furlong jointly made the announcement of the donation of the gold medal winning puck to the Hockey Hall of Fame (HHOF).

Vancouver, BC — To help children and teenagers in Haiti rebuild after the devastating earthquake there on January 12, a $300,000 CAD donation has been made to UNICEF to commemorate the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Truce and to serve as a lasting legacy of Canada’s Games. The donation, announced today, will provide an opportunity for the children of Haiti to once again play in good health and freedom. The donation is made possible by the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC), as well as explore.org and the Annenberg Foundation, l’Organisation internationale de la Francophonie (OIF) and Teck Resources, an Official Supporter of the 2010 Winter Games and the metals supplier for the Vancouver 2010 medals.

Vancouver, BC – With the 2010 Olympic Winter Games over and the Paralympic Games set to start on March 12,  fans and enthusiasts  can now experience the Games through a number of official licensed books offered by the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC).  These books are already available for purchase or pre-order at vancouver2010.com or on their local bookstore shelves. The latest book to hit store shelves this week is A Path of Northern Lights: The Story of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Torch Relay . This beautiful, full-colour book tells the story of the Olympic Torch Relay and its 106-day, 45,000-kilometre journey from coast to coast to coast across Canada.  Filled with emotional stories, behind-the-scenes details and stunning imagery and a complete list of all 12,000 torchbearers, this is a book that both Games and torch relay aficionados alike will want to have in their collection.

Over 3.5 million pairs of Red Mittens purchased in support of Canadian winter athletes Vancouver, BC ? The Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC) today thanked Canadians and all fans who showed their support for the Canadian athletes and the 2010 Games by purchasing a pair of Red Mittens. Over 3.5 million pairs of mittens were sold during the five-month campaign and the mittens quickly became one of the most enduring and popular items of the pre-Games and Games-time period. The full inventory of Red Mittens has now been sold.

Vancouver, BC?? The Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC) today commended the Government of Canada for committing an additional $17 million annually in funding in support of the Own the Podium program: $11 million for winter athletes and $ 6 million for summer athletes.

Unique flame ceremonies to see ashes from all 13 celebration sites united in final flame at Opening Ceremony March 12 Ottawa, ON ? As Canada gets ready to host the world’s best Paralympic winter athletes starting on March 12, the inspirational 10-day journey of the Vancouver 2010 Paralympic Torch Relay is officially underway with the first group of Paralympic Torchbearers – one from each province and territory – gathering in the nation’s capital to create stories that will inspire the nation. More than 600 torchbearers will proudly carry the flame as the Vancouver 2010 Paralympic Torch Relay, presented by Coca-Cola and RBC and supported by the Government of Canada and the Province of BC, visits 11 communities over the next 10 days, culminating in the lighting of the Paralympic Cauldron at BC Place in downtown Vancouver on March 12, 2010. Tickets for the Opening Ceremony are still available (see ticketing information below). The Paralympic Flame, which has no ancestral home, was ignited and blessed this morning by Aboriginal firekeepers of the Pikwakanagan and Kitigan Zibi Algonquin bands on Victoria Island during a special ceremony.

Citizens urged to keep travelling smart as changes to the road network remain for Paralympic Winter Games Vancouver, BC – The Olympic and Paralympic Transportation Team (OPTT) today thanked the people of Metro Vancouver and the Sea to Sky regions for making the 2010 integrated Olympic transportation plan a success, while urging people to keep traveling smart in view of changes to the transportation network for the 2010 Paralympic Winter Games. Transportation planners – charged with one of the most complex and critical elements of the Games – set the lofty goal of achieving at least a 30 per cent reduction in vehicle use during the Olympic Games, in order to ensure athletes, officials and others could get to their events on time and local residents could move efficiently

Whistler (AFP) – Razzoli clocked a combined total of 1min 39.32sec over the two runs, 0.16sec ahead of Croatia’s Ivica Kostelic with Andre Myhrer of Sweden taking bronze, a further 0.28sec adrift. The Italian, whose sole World Cup victory came at Zagreb this season, led by 0.43sec after the first run but put any nerves to one side on the second run to nail an impressive day’s skiing in difficult conditions that included heavy rain, thick fog and very wet snow. Razzoli edged Austrian Benjamin Raich into fourth place, meaning the Austrian men’s team remained medal-less for the first time since 1936 when alpine skiing was first introduced at the Olympic Winter Games.