Burnaby gets face-time with NBC's Matt Lauer during the Vancouver 2010
Olympic Torch Relay

BURNABY, BC, Feb. 11 /CNW/ - In 16 years with NBC News' TODAY show, Matt Lauer has pretty much seen it all. On Feb. 11 , Lauer adds another once-in-a-lifetime experience to his repertoire as he joins Canadians to run one of the final legs of the Olympic Torch Relay in Burnaby, British Columbia.

Matt Lauer is an international torchbearer with the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Torch Relay, presented by Coca-Cola and RBC and supported by the Government of Canada .

Along with the rest of the TODAY show cast, Lauer will be broadcasting daily from atop picturesque Grouse Mountain throughout Canada's Games.

"We are delighted to share where in the world Matt is with his viewers. It is especially exciting that one of America's best known broadcasters is bringing the Olympic Flame that much closer to its final destination as we welcome the world to the 2010 Winter Games!" says Michele McKenzie, president and CEO of the Canadian Tourism Commission. "We want Matt's American fans to be inspired to follow in his footsteps. We're waiting to welcome them to Canada anytime."

The Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC), in collaboration with the Canadian Tourism Commission (CTC), has selected international torchbearers to participate in the 2010 Olympic Torch Relay International Media Program to maximize international media coverage of the relay and spread the excitement and Olympic spirit around the world.

The international torchbearers are from CTC's global markets and include Olympic athletes as well as entertainers and media celebrities. Their journeys through Canada will be broadcast and shared in their home countries during both the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Torch Relay and the 2010 Winter Games, all to inspire the world to travel to Canada .

About the CTC

The CTC is Canada's national tourism marketing organization. Our vision is inspiring the world to explore Canada . With our partners in the tourism industry and the governments of Canada , the provinces and the territories, we advertise and market Canada in 12 countries around the world, conduct industry research and studies, and promote product and industry development. For daily updates on CTC initiatives, subscribe to CTC News, available through RSS feeds and by e-mail.

Resources

Torchbearer Profile

For further information: Meaghan Benmore, Hill & Knowlton Vancouver, Tel: [phone], Cell: [phone], [email protected]; Jitka Licenik, Corporate Communications Advisor, Canadian Tourism Commission, Tel: [phone], Fax: [phone], [email protected], www.mediacentre.canada.travel