First-of-its-kind legacy organization hosts symposium for national and
international delegates on planning and creating Olympic and Paralympic
legacies

VANCOUVER, Feb. 19 /CNW/ - A panel of international experts, including representatives from the International Olympic Committee and the organizing committees for the Vancouver and London Olympic and Paralympic Games, joined 2010 Legacies Now CEO Bruce Dewar today for a half-day symposium on Olympic and Paralympic legacies. The symposium explored the first-of-its-kind model of 2010 Legacies Now, a non-profit organization which was established during the bid phase for the 2010 Winter Games to ensure social legacies were created for British Columbians prior to and after the Games.

Participants of the Olympic and Paralympic Legacies Symposium discussed how to leverage legacy planning as part of future Olympic and Paralympic bids and best practices for creating social legacies which extend beyond sport venues and infrastructure, including a focus on sport and healthy living, sport tourism, the arts, literacy, volunteers, accessibility and Aboriginal engagement.

Guest speakers included:

    
    -   Hon. Mary McNeil, Minister of State for the Olympics and ActNow BC,
        Province of British Columbia
    -   Michelle Lemaitre, Project Manager, Olympic Games Development,
        International Olympic Committee
    -   Sir Keith Mills, Deputy Chairman, London Organising Committee for the
        Olympic and Paralympic Games
    -   Linda Coady, Vice President, Sustainability, VANOC
    -   Bruce Dewar, Chief Executive Officer, 2010 Legacies Now
    

The symposium included an in-depth presentation by Mr. Dewar on the 2010 Legacies Now business model, which focuses on establishing innovative partnerships to connect corporate, community and government organizations to ensure communities experience social benefits as a result of hosting the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

"2010 Legacies Now is the first legacy organization to be in place long before the Games start, and our approach to collaborative and sustainable legacy planning can be adopted by other host and bid cities to ensure their regions experience social benefits from the Games as well," explained Mr. Dewar.

The 2010 Legacies Now model, as presented by Mr. Dewar, has proven extremely successful with programs having large scale and lasting social benefits, including:

    
    -   200,000 people participating in community sport and recreation
        programs
    -   1,300 high-performance athletes supported annually with funding for
        coaching and training
    -   200 national and international sport events hosted by B.C.
        communities leading up to the Games
    -   101 community groups improving literacy in more than
        400 neighbourhoods and communities across B.C.
    

Minister McNeil opened the symposium with greetings from the Province of British Columbia. "Although we are only part way into the Games, millions of people across the province have already experienced social benefits through the work of 2010 Legacies Now and its partners," said Minister McNeil.

Ms. Lemaitre supported 2010 Legacies Now's approach to legacy development, referring to a case study the International Olympic Committee commissioned, entitled Catalyst, Collaborator, Connector: The Social Innovation Model of 2010 Legacies Now, which is available online at 2010andBeyond.ca/#/our-impact. Ms. Coady emphasized partnership building as the key to establishing sustainable social legacies from the Games.

Sir Keith Mills discussed the legacy efforts underway in the United Kingdom, emphasizing the lessons which can be learned from 2010 Legacies Now.

"2010 Legacies Now provides an innovative blueprint for how host cities can use the Games to drive important social change that benefits the host city and region," said Sir Keith said.

"We look forward to collaborating with 2010 Legacies Now as we transfer knowledge between the two Games."

For more information on 2010 Legacies Now, visit www.2010LegaciesNow.com or www.2010andBeyond.ca.

About 2010 Legacies Now

2010 Legacies Now is the first organization of its kind. We were created in 2000 to build support for Vancouver's bid for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, and to ensure a stronger sport system in British Columbia. We are now dedicated to developing community legacies leading up to, and beyond, the 2010 Winter Games. As a not-for-profit organization, 2010 Legacies Now aims to strengthen not just sport and recreation, but also the arts, literacy, healthy living, accessibility and volunteerism.

For further information: Media Contacts: Natasha Vander Wal, Manager, Communications, 2010 Legacies Now, [phone], [email protected]; Shari Burnett, Edelman, for 2010 Legacies Now, [email protected], [phone]; Nicholas Wolaver, Edelman, for 2010 Legacies Now, [phone] in Vancouver, [email protected]