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The Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games are just
around the corner. With just 365 days remaining before the Games
period starts, Toronto is having a countdown of its own: only 309
days until it is the community’s time to shine when the Olympic
Flame arrives here!
Before the world sets its eyes on Vancouver and the Whistler region
where thousands of athletes and tens of thousands of spectators
will join in to celebrate, Toronto will light up as one of the 1,020
communities and places of interest the Olympic Flame will visit
during the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Torch Relay, presented by Coca-Cola
and RBC and supported by the Government of Canada.
"We are extremely excited to share in the spirit of 2010 and welcome
the Olympic Flame to our city on December 17, 2009 as it makes its
way across Canada," said Mayor David Miller. "On that date, all
eyes will be on our city. Our planning for this exciting day is
well underway, and we continue to develop ways for all Torontonians
to come together, celebrate and show our Olympic and Canadian spirit."
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. Residents
of Toronto and the surrounding area are invited to go to icoke.ca
and rbc.com/carrythetorch to submit a torchbearer application for
this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
"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."
As part of the one-year countdown celebrations, on February 12,
2009 the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Torch, designed and manufactured
by Bombardier, and the Olympic Torchbearer uniforms, designed by
the Hudson’s Bay Company, were unveiled to the world in Whistler,
BC. For more information about the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Torch
Relay, visit vancouver2010.com/torchrelay.
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