Cornwall Gets Ready For Olympic Torch Relay
Candy Pollard

 The Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games are just around the corner. With just 365 days remaining before the Games start, Cornwall�s Torch Relay Committee is urging local residents to apply online to be torch bearers.

�Many Canadians have dreamt about carrying the Olympic Torch�, said Pam Maloney, Co-Chair of the Cornwall Torch Relay Committee. �RBC and Coca-Cola are making it possible for a local person to see that dream come true�.

The Vancouver 2010 Olympic Torch Relay needs 12,000 torchbearers to carry the Olympic Flame through Canada. Both Coca-Cola and RBC have put together programs that are inclusive and accessible for all Canadians. You don�t have to be a former athlete or have done something that is recognizedvaround the world in order to become an Olympic Torchbearer. The requirements to be a torchbearer are few and there are two ways to apply.

Torchbearers are required to:
� carry/run/walk with an Olympic Torch for approximately 300 metres
� find their way to and from the assigned collection point
� participate fully in the two- to three-hour Olympic Torchbearer experience
� be 13 years of age by October 30, 2009
� complete all required documentation including a security check
� submit an application as per the requirements of Coca-Cola and/or RBC

You can nominate yourself online at the following two websites:
� www.icoke.ca
� www.CarrytheTorch.com

December 14 is the Day!

The Olympic Torch Relay will wind its way through Cornwall on December 14, 2009.

�We are extremely excited to share in the spirit of 2010 and welcome the Olympic Flame to Cornwall on December 14 as it makes its way across Canada,� said Bob Kilger, Mayor of Cornwall. �We will fly the Olympic Torch Relay Flag at Lamoureux Park until that day, and beyond to the Olympics in 2010.�

�On December 14, all eyes will be on our community�, said Gilles Latour, Co-Chair of the Cornwall Torch Relay Committee. �Our planning for this exciting day is well underway, and we continue to develop ways for residents to come together, celebrate and show our Olympic and Canadian spirit.�

About the Torch Relay

The Vancouver 2010 Olympic Torch Relay is a 106-day celebration that starts in Victoria, British Columbia on October 30, 2009. The Olympic Flame will travel over 45,000 kilometres across Canada making it the longest domestic relay in Olympic history. Over the course of the relay, 12,000 torchbearers will have the opportunity to carry the Olympic Flame. They will largely be selected from the public through programs offered by Coca-Cola and RBC.

�One of the most inspiring ways to get involved in the Olympic experience as it sweeps across Canada is to help escort that magnificent Olympic Flame,� said John Furlong, Chief Executive Officer of the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC). �Everyday Canadians have the opportunity to sign up to become Olympic Torchbearers and have the experience of a lifetime.�

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