The Olympic Torch

Delivery boy came to the city. He was there. Now what was it like to run the Olympic flame. It was exciting and I was amazed at the people that showed up step in and out there by the bill mall area holiday and all that and when I ran the first leg and it was exciting I guess I didn't expect that many people out there on this on that the entire route there that we were in the bus behind all the runners and there's a great crowd up here attack here is super. And you get involved in a friend of mine now nominated me and now we were chosen for our community hero program and there was six of us here from the Cookeville area that were chosen for the community hero program to carry the torch. So now this torch is not lighter than about three and a half pounds. Now it gets a little heavy never wants the alarm to one. Yes No thank you. Day and morning of the thing.

It. Was. The time.

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Think they only made. Them. Think. That. The food. Was. Good for the brain. The way a message. Like. That. For the young man and one woman. Can't. Hear A. Dad. Can't. Make. It. The thing that. I want to. Take. Out of. The. I am. Going to. Nominate me. Heather or come on to her. House. And you. Know my. Word. I meant Baba but then as if it. Were. To. Go out of my head going to open. Up the bank. Of America if it. Was. The bank get. My camera

and. The woman. Herself. To. Hear. It. And without. Any of them. Were. There. To. Serve. Here's. The way. The people up with the Bible look at the bigger crowd out there hearing the board. And then. Again they. Just. Go the other. Way. The fellow. Right before you a. Bigot. Thanks. Thanks. Thanks. Thanks. Thanks. Thanks. Thanks. Thanks. Oh. Oh. Oh ok

thanks. Thanks. Thanks. Thanks. Thanks. Thanks. Thanks. The banks. Thank you a email. Was. The best. Way to. The

Bowen. Was. The OOA. Cohen. Oh OK. Thanks. Very much. Mike. When you're looking for. Thanks. I really like. My. Dad. Oh. I think they do get ya be running. A motorhome a hollow. For. Me to. Get in the bank. And land.

Based on a. Surface to the bottom level but I see a. Child's sake. I hope. You're a man of my my. Grammar right here. Right. Now. We would. Like to know why there was. A. Gun. A. Right. To own. My own. Home. Don't mean to hit. Me

now. On now. International. Finance. Owners. Only. Own. After.

All. Spangler years for the ability to see the worst spreading peace. It is to

preach in London today. All the right thing in the world standing for the majesty of one that was really killed in the raid 100 years ago and has been called America. To Salvation to. Take it on. Trust to say it is here to meet and reach out. The Olympic Games highlight and pass it along from generation to generation from country to country from city to city from one to the letter in the endless cycle sort. It was a passionate truce with him but he got very tired of us regular

hearing our soldiers and it is a lot of hope that your civil liberties are friendships. Will you and your standard seem to be looking really well. We have the power and the link to our lives. Thank you again and a great day for us. Was.

Please welcome to the ascent of Tennessee Tech. Is a little bit. Uglier. Than you Mr. headroom. Places gentlemen. We Selby express our appreciation to all co-chair of your golden writer. We said many times it. Feels. The baton and. I'm having the students that will be said to know my plan she didn't rush to nursery I married at least welcoming the 1996 Olympic torch relay team. Now campus I say congratulations in advance to the co-chairs who have carried the movie TV camera you're going to be perhaps rather a city. We have very proud of all of you. I would really like to reduce recently read religious cultural as she went in to see a group will

really doesn't see the national anthem as it needs us. Would you please people you know how artists are you know that was done to me that rice write an essay. Ramsey values are really really we have and their families. Thank you Mr. records. In addition please welcome the mayor's either to us. To me. I first want to thank you all for writing. And I want to thank all the

very brilliant. Getting. The blame if you look at the side of the grief. There's a standard for Santa Cruz. But your issue again. And again and the smaller piece. And it will bring the world together. We're pleased to welcome the plane and friends honor that everyone can integrate together and bring your game to the place than. We

can any wish all to see and our life. And. Now you will. Share with me the proclamation that our only way. We deal with this symbolizes the elite ideals of peace understanding and really competition and celebration. Anniversary of the modern day after it landed where they were again this summer. Are we really bring our HLN guide rails anywhere

any support for the Peaceful Easy Feeling like I said again and again. There were millions around the world. Now therefore I will do for up to a night and day and every hour to celebrate. And you didn't wait for the world to resolve cold. I feel this 27. Q 1996. Thank you Mayor thank you. Well thank you Tennessee Tech are

saying here is all too short. We are very grateful that you are a a Lake City hosting us today. We will take a plane with us on the line and we will take your best wishes and sure those will be at least now the people in line Jordan rightly to be staging a PSA reading wheel of the past so that the Olympic Games are over. We would like to leave with a token of our British ation and this is a sure going to get to the city and I'll tell you the Sea-Tac and everybody was telling today to share it with the spirit. The Atlanta Committee for the Libby games this week to share the spirit of the 26 and we began with a tender seat during the summers of 1996 Olympic torch relay presented by coming to help their communities involvement and outstanding preparation for the rivalry going to claim is greatly appreciated and will be commemorated as a celebration of the 1996

Centennial Olympic Games. This or That is signed by William Burger King who was the president and chief executive officer of the Atlanta Committee for the games and was I guess or who was the president and chief operating officer at a couple of company. Once again thanks very much I hope this isn't just a little Hitlers enjoyed the funnymen Thanks for the pictures and we will never forget you. Thank you. Bill Bennett talked about right before wrapping here and cook I would say after Rick wrote something about smoking and talk about screw him and were united with him through a pill and I were both across the country have been asking how were the Olympic torch relay throughout the country in their cities because of the fact that we have a great reputation

for our working with lots of volunteers and we certainly have had a lot of volunteers working with that's sure our sat with you know the Olympic torch relay with carbon credits are present here and there have been a fantastic help for us throughout the country. And here a better player been putting up banners and helping us with that promotions and everything you know for people from Tennessee tackle and are where I live the king that he has been cross section in the city and county government officials as well as his people were interested in me how we're running roads and United road trains and or private they choose this crap for him put their efforts into it. Man it's important that our United Way Sometimes know just as having their hand that with them but asking for money you know yes that's a very important thing we do and we are so broke at our kid in money I would volunteer to help. But another thing is community building and that is the a very important piece of what United Way does and this is definitely a community builder we're helping to build a new spirit helping one another here blue. We work with a Cancer

Society and Heart Association we were a lot of different charities that are typically United Way because this is our community. It's important for us to all work together and make an impact to branch out to about the you talked about amount of background to yours give me the grassroot her many problems here. What kind of manpower we're talking which will work this year. OK we're a small city a small county of approx and 60000 people here we have had a core committee of approximately 15 people that a larger committee of around 40 people brought altogether without the volunteers we've had is around 200 and we have done this with no fund raising for this event. Some of the large cities raise between sixteen hundred thousand dollars to put on and then we're small and because we do a lot of other fund raising we thought was important to just the contributions and Tennessee Tech Foundation and the Chamber of Commerce are underwriting the luncheon to take care of that

torch relay on people. Some of the officials here in the city that everything has been a long tear. Very very excited about them and that sheds a mat for the community of Cooper over her. Tennessee is known as a volunteer state and here in Cookeville it really isn't the size of its a wonderful place. Any final comments. We're glad you're here and we're very very happy that we have six people that were chosen united way that you'd be here at the program and I don't know if you know this but over 200000 people applied for 50 500 slots and we also have two people in the car last year the spirit of competition and they're going to be carrying the torch and so are together we have eight runners her church peers and we also have a young man by the way who just have a passable and he's in a wheelchair and he's going to be carrying the torch. Listen if I've asked for one so we're really excited for them to Monaco tell me a little bit about what's going on today quite a big event happening here tonight.

Yes we're billing this as couples longest lunch hour in Tennessee Tech is quite proud to be a part of hosting the Olympic torch ceremony today. We're having as you can see by the celebration the approach we're becoming right up armoring brought in some hot dogs hamburgers and hoping everybody will come out and join. What kind of work is involved with setting something like this protection. Oh I can't I can't begin to cover all of that stuff. But of course we have everybody involved from all over campus we've got our athletic spend ation is providing the food for sale today. Safety and Security obviously has a big job in getting everything taken care of with the route the president's office has just been tremendous an entertaining all of the Atlanta people and getting all of it organized from there into it and it's kind of difficult because we're also trying to work with people who are traveling across the United States at this time. How many people do you expect to remain grabbed this afternoon.

Well you know it's hard to really tell but the people from the Atlantic and many are saying for a town our size they're expecting 10 to 20000 people. So we're hoping that we get a crowd that size I think will be right. One final question. Ryan was attacked chosen to be involved with this and why did Jake choose to be involved in this. Well the city of Cookeville is the main host of the relay and of course our beautiful campus is one of the reasons. But as it comes down to the specific details as to why it was chosen I'm not really sure what about what about the students or what kind of impact you think the students will have being on campus and all of this going on you think will be for their benefit as well. Well it won't really impact the students very much right now we're in between some of the terms. So we're hoping the students who are still in town will attend but we don't expect it to have very much involvement of the students on it.

So mostly This will be a community event Right right. This is really a city of intimacy taken very bad to be a part of any final comments. We're just happy to be here and hope everybody has a good time. Thanks Mike. It should tell us a little bit about you. I don't know if this is your first time to cook but tell us about your trip and what's going on here Tennessee checked out as med fact this is my first time to cook. Bill which is one of the advantages of the job I have because it brings me to some many different communities around the country in places I've never been before and today we're planning a lunchtime celebration here at Tennessee Tech with a 30 minute stop for the torch. Got music going on stage the cauldron is on stage and final torchbearer will come in and bring the flame to the stage like the cauldron will have a ceremony and then after the 30 minutes next torchbearer will come on stage and take the flame and start running again as we move on to the road to Atlanta. I really been in that room with me when you get to it so far this is my 60

second day of travel with the torch relay. And I we've got 84 total where we're traveling 15000 miles and all kind of reaction are you getting from the United States and reception. We had just just wonderful reaction. Everybody in the country has been credibly excited and supportive. And the purpose of the torch relay from my perspective this is to bring the Olympics to the people since most of the people don't have to travel to Atlanta in the summer. So we've managed to touch 90 percent of the population in a two hour drive. That's one thing I was going to ask Merrick's a lot of people you know. It's grown all over the place it's getting on the bike you're in Charlotte. A few days ago which is right next to it right now here you are back up in Tennessee. You're trying to do that to really let everybody in the U.S. you know in the spirit of this competition. Absolutely it's a very deliberate decision. And by no means a pro writer and that's our purpose is to bring

it to. You know just to everyday as much as. Ever. What kind of response have you been getting from the communities across the U.S.. Mostly just so much excitement. People have been so wonderful to work there is very anything very special in its own way. Overall though it's just been people wanting to help wanting to share the pain of this and. I'm very proud to host the first we're very proud. What do you mean by much to the spirit of standing. Rules to the spirit of the Olympics and hello. Oh it's really wonderful for us. Why does go get involved in something like this for the band. Absolutely there are so the Olympics are for everybody from anywhere any place any time. And it's such a special special opportunity for Coca-Cola to be involved with the Olympic torch relay because it's the first time in

history that the torch relay has at actually been brought to this many people. It touches at least 90 percent of the population as it started in Los Angeles and crossing through to Knoxville in Cookeville and then on to Atlanta. Now.