Celebrate 2010 to help families, children share in the dream of the 2010
Winter Games

VANCOUVER , Oct. 21 /CNW/ - Thousands of faces will beam as they cheer on the world's best athletes at the 2010 Winter Games, thanks to Games tickets donated through a program called Celebrate 2010 to community groups in Metro Vancouver and the Sea to Sky region.

The Celebrate 2010 program is designed to ensure people with limited financial means are able to share in the dream of attending Canada's Games. Within this scope, ticket recipients will include children and families, Aboriginal peoples, and residents of Vancouver's inner-city neighbourhoods. The Olympic and Paralympic tickets will be purchased and donated to the recipient and include local public transit to the event.

The program was created by the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC) and its community and Games partners, including Jet Set Sports, Official Supporter of the 2010 Winter Games, which is making a significant cash contribution. The donation of these Celebrate 2010 tickets was a commitment made during the bid for the 2010 Winter Games.

"We want as many children and families as possible to experience the Games and be inspired by the performances of the world's greatest athletes. Despite our efforts to make Olympic tickets as affordable as possible, we recognize that there are still many people and families who would not otherwise be able to attend," explained Dave Cobb , VANOC's deputy chief executive officer.

VANOC is working with a range of community implementation partners including BC Housing, the BC Non-Profit Housing Association, the Four Host First Nations Secretariat, and various Spirit of BC Committees supported by 2010 Legacies Now to distribute the Celebrate 2010 tickets. Ticket recipients will be identified by the community organizations or social agencies with whom they interact and tickets will not be provided to individuals directly.

"This is an opportunity of a lifetime to experience the 2010 Winter Games while they're happening in our own backyard," said Shayne Ramsay , CEO of BC Housing. "As a provider of housing and related supports for vulnerable British Columbians we are in a unique position to help VANOC reach out to those who would most benefit from this program."

"Celebrate 2010 is a way for our members to share with their tenants the special moments the Olympic and Paralympic Games have to offer," said Karen Stone , executive director of the BC Non-Profit Housing Association. "Our members are dedicated to providing meaningful opportunities for their tenants who would not normally have access and we are pleased to be involved in connecting them to the Games experience."

The Celebrate 2010 ticket allotment includes all sports, as well as nightly Olympic Victory Ceremonies. The great majority of the tickets will be distributed to residents within a two-hour drive of Games' venues because of accommodation and transportation logistics.

The program is just one component of VANOC's approach to ensuring affordable Games. Other initiatives include: offering more than 100,000 tickets for $25 or less and creating Ticket to Inspiration, the Paralympic Winter Games youth attendance program. For more information on the Celebrate 2010 program, stay tuned to vancouver2010.com over the coming months.

About VANOC

VANOC is responsible for the planning, organizing, financing and staging of the XXI Olympic Winter Games and the X Paralympic Winter Games in 2010. The 2010 Olympic Winter Games will be staged in Vancouver and Whistler from February 12 to 28, 2010. Vancouver and Whistler will host the Paralympic Winter Games from March 12 to 21, 2010. Visit www.vancouver2010.com.

For further information: Media Contact: Jennifer Young, VANOC Communications, [phone], [email protected]