For more information, contact:
The St. Louis Sports Commission
314-992-0687
sports@stlouissports.org

ST. LOUIS CELEBRATES ITS OLYMPIC CENTENNIAL THURSDAY NIGHT ON ART HILL
IN FOREST PARK

EVENT IS FREE TO THE PUBLIC; FEATUES MORE THAN 30 OLYMPIANS, FIREWORKS, AND SERVES AS CULMINATION TO OLYMPIC TORCH RELAY

ST. LOUIS – June 16, 2004 – Tomorrow the Olympic Torch will make its way through the St. Louis region as part of the ATHENS 2004 Olympic Torch Relay. St. Louis will be the 12 th of 35 cities on the first-ever global route. The Olympic flame will arrive in the Gateway City Thursday morning and travel 34 miles around the St. Louis region. The relay begins at 1 p.m. at the base of the steps of the Gateway Arch.

At the end of the relay, St. Louis will mark the 100 th anniversary of its 1904 Olympic Games with a celebration on Art Hill in Forest Park. St. Louis' Olympic Centennial Celebration will begin at 7:30 p.m. It will include appearances by Olympians, music by members of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, a look back at the 1904 Games, fireworks, and the culmination to the Olympic Torch Relay through St. Louis. Coca-Cola and Samsung, presenting sponsors of the ATHENS 2004 Global Olympic Torch Relay, will have interactive games and commemorative giveaways for spectators at the Celebration.

The event is free to the public. Spectators are invited to bring a blanket or lawn chair to enjoy the show, which will lead up to the arrival of the Olympic flame at Art Hill at approximately 8:45 p.m. Jackie Joyner-Kersee , one of the world's greatest athletes, will serve as St. Louis' final torchbearer. The three-time Olympic gold medalist and East St. Louis native will light the Torch Relay cauldron located on a stage that will be built for the Celebration at the base of Art Hill.

In commemorating the centennial of the 1904 Games – the first Olympics to take place in the Western Hemisphere – the event will also pay tribute to the legendary athletes and great moments that have been part of the U.S. Olympic movement's past 100 years. More than 30 Olympians from St. Louis and around the country will attend the Celebration.

In addition to Joyner-Kersee, athletes scheduled to appear include Shannon Miller , a seven-time Olympic medalist in gymnastics; Bonnie Blair , a five-time Olympic gold medalist in speed skating; Sammie Henson , a graduate of Francis Howell High School who won the silver medal in freestyle wrestling at the 2000 Olympics; Wendy Williams , a native of Bridgeton who won the bronze medal in diving at the 1988 Olympics; Billy Mills , track and field gold medalist at the 1964 Olympics in Tokyo; Greg Foster , who won the silver medal in track and field at the 1984 Games; Craig Virgin , a three-time Olympian in track and field from Lebanon, Ill.; and Connie Teaberry, a 1996 Olympian in track and field from Florissant, Mo; and George Erker , son of 1904 gold medalist August Erker . KSDK-TV NewsChannel 5 anchor Mike Bush will emcee the event, which will be televised live by the NBC affiliate.

Partnering with several civic entities, the St. Louis Sports Commission has taken the lead in organizing the Olympic Centennial Celebration. Significant support for the project has come from the City of St. Louis, St. Louis 2004, the St. Louis Department of Parks, Recreation and Forestry, the St. Louis Fire Department, the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, the Downtown St. Louis Partnership and Washington University. Local contributors include The Spark Agency, E. Desmond Lee, FastSigns of Bridgeton, KSDK-TV NewsChannel 5, Planet Do It, Premier Rentals, the Shakespeare Festival of St. Louis, '62 Sports Group, Stanco Audio Systems, and Waylon Ad, Inc.

The Celebration is sponsored by the Coca-Cola Bottling Company of St. Louis and Samsung.

For more information on St. Louis' Olympic Centennial Celebration and the ATHENS 2004 Olympic Torch Relay, log on to www.stlsports.org and click on the Olympic Torch Relay logo. Both events are part of Celebrate 2004 – the region's yearlong civic celebration marking the bicentennial of the Lewis & Clark expedition, the centennial of the World's Fair and Olympics in St. Louis, and recent revitalization accomplishments.

SPECTATOR GUIDE TO THE CELEBRATION

WHAT TO BRING: Spectators attending the Celebration are encouraged to bring a blanket or lawn chair as there will be open seating on Art Hill. Spectators will be permitted to bring their own food into the venue. A small number of vendors will be selling food and water. Coca-Cola products will also be available. No alcoholic beverages will be allowed in the park.

WHERE TO PARK: Parking options for spectators attending the Celebration include the St. Louis Zoo north and south lots (free after 7 p.m.), the lower and upper Muny lots, Washington University, and on the streets throughout Forest Park (as permitted by law). The east and west circle lots atop Art Hill and the Art Museum parking lot will be reserved for handicapped parking and parking pass holders. In addition, there will be no parking allowed on Lagoon Drive between Fine Arts Drive and the Dwight Davis Tennis Center. Attendees with a vehicle disability placard or license plate may park in the east and west circle lots atop Art Hill or in the Art Museum parking lot. Street parking will also be reserved south of The Boat House.

ACCESSIBILITY INFO & SERVICES: Deaf Inter-Link will provide sign language interpreting services for the Celebration. People with disabilities requesting accommodations should call 314-206-7385. Advance notice is appreciated.

FUN FACT TO NOTE: St. Louis' Olympic Centennial Celebration will take place on the anniversary of Charles Lindbergh's return to St. Louis following his historic transatlantic flight. On June 17, 1927, thousands of St. Louisans gathered on Art Hill to give Lindbergh a hero's welcome. Seventy-seven years later – to the date – St. Louisans will gather on Art Hill for yet another memorable event.

CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION MEDIA NOTE: Media credentials and parking passes for St. Louis' Olympic Centennial Celebration will be available at the information booth (a white tent at the top of Art Hill) located at the east circle parking lot on Fine Arts Drive beginning at 5 p.m. on Thursday. Credentials will allow media to enter the seating area and conduct interviews with the Olympians and event organizers. For more information, contact Doug Bray at 314-206-7388 or dbray@stlsports.org

ATHENS 2004 GLOBAL OLYMPIC TORCH RELAY MEDIA NOTE: Media requesting credentials for the media truck during the Torch Relay should contact Kerry Slatkoff at (919) 225-5827. Members of the media are encouraged to interview torchbearers at any of the 10 collection points and two break sites along the Torch Relay route and will not need a credential for those areas. For a list of the collection points and break areas, or for more information, please contact Doug Bray at (314) 206-7388 or dbray@stlsports.org .