Park City, Utah (June 19, 2013) - The spirit of the Olympic Movement will roll into Park City, Utah as Utah Olympic Park hosts Olympic Day, scheduled for Sunday, June 30, 2013. The day's activities include athlete appearances, big air show and debut of a new exhibit at the Alf Engen Ski Museum featuring a collection of trophies, medals, photos, skis, and other memorabilia from members of the U.S. Women's Ski Jumping Team.
The unveiling of the new museum exhibit will take place at noon, prior to the other festivities.
"We are excited to feature Women's Ski Jumping in our four mobile exhibits placed in the entrance to our museum. We have cheered these athletes on their journey to the Olympics since opening in May 2002. We are honored to feature their history through the years and will be excited to see them excel in the Sochi Olympics," said Connie Nelson, Executive Director, Alf Engen Ski Museum.
Olympic Day will include special appearances by Olympians, Utah athletes-in-training, and Summit County Utah officials. The event will commence with a reading of the official Olympic Day proclamation, followed by an introduction of members of the No. 1-ranked U.S. Women's Ski Jumping Team - Sarah Hendrickson, Abby Hughes, Jessica Jerome, Alissa Johnson, and Lindsey Van. Women ski jumpers will get to compete in the Olympic Winter Games for the first time in history in Sochi 2014.
"We are excited to take part in Olympic Day and hope to inspire all the Utah young girls and boys who will get the same great opportunities in sport that we did growing up here," said Sarah Hendrickson, 2013 World Ski Jumping Champion.
The Flying Ace All-Stars will perform their signature ½ hour performance. Tickets to the show are $10 for adults and $5 for youth ages three to 12 and seniors ages 65 or older. Children age two and under are admitted at no charge. The Freestyle Show is presented by Montage Deer Valley.
Following the show, local Olympians, athletes and members of the Flying Ace All-Stars will be on-hand for autographs and to meet visitors. Complimentary activities include a bounce house and live performance by Salt Lake based youth band ‘School of Rock'. The free concert is scheduled from 2:00 P.M. to 4:00 P.M.
Utah Olympic Park's Olympic Day is one of more than 700 events taking place nationwide between June 21 and 30. The events, designed to engage youth and promote the ideals of the Olympic movement, feature athlete appearances, family-friendly activities and interactive learning experiences.
Around the world, more than 160 countries take part in the annual celebration. Olympic Day, created in 1948 to commemorate the birth of the modern Olympic Games, focuses on the Olympic values and ideals such as fair play, perseverance, respect and sportsmanship. In the U.S., Olympic Day events range from small gatherings to large, city-wide events.
Utah Olympic Park opens daily at 9:00 A.M. with complimentary parking and access to the Alf Engen Ski Museum and Eccles 2002 Winter Olympic Games Museum. Summer activities including two zip lines, alpine slide, scenic chairlift rides, and three new adventure courses operate daily between 10:00 A.M. and 6:00 P.M. For complete list of rates and schedules, visit UtahOlympicLegacy.com.
About Women's Ski Jumping USA
Women's Ski Jumping USA (WSJ-USA) is the primary support group for the VISA Women's Ski Jumping Team and aims to foster development level athletes throughout the U.S. Created as a 501c3 foundation in 2003, WSJ-USA also promotes the sport for women internationally by interacting with National Governing Bodies (NGB's) and the International Ski Federation (FIS). Support for WSJ-USA comes from corporate sponsors, grants, and private donations. See www.wsjusa.com for more information.
About Alf Engen Ski Museum Foundation
The Alf Engen Ski Museum is one of two impressive anchor exhibits of the Joe Quinney Winter Sports Center. The George Eccles 2002 Olympic Winter Games museum is the other. With state-of-the-art interactive and virtual exhibits, visitors can be in the epicenter of the past, present and future of winter sports in the Intermountain Region, including an Olympic downhill course. The museum's comprehensive educational component gives school children a skiing-based foundation to study subjects such as the water cycle, physics and Utah's colorful history. For more information, please visit EngenMuseum.org.
About Utah Olympic Park
Built for the 2002 Winter Olympic Games, Utah Olympic Park is located 28 miles east of Salt Lake City in Park City, Utah. During the 2002 Games, the 389-acre winter sports venue hosted bobsled, skeleton, luge, Nordic ski jumping, and Nordic combined events. It continues to serve a training center for Olympic and development level athletes and is a popular destination for tourist. Utah Olympic Park is home to six Nordic Ski Jumps (K10, K20, K40, K64, K90, K120 meter), 1,335-meter sliding track with five start areas, freestyle aerials winter training and competition hill, 750,000-gallon summer freestyle aerial training pool, Joe Quinney Winter Sports Center, Alf Engen Ski Museum and Eccles 2002 Winter Olympic Games Museum. For more information about the venue, please visit UtahOlympicLegacy.com or call 435-658-4200.
About Utah Olympic Legacy Foundation
Utah Olympic Legacy Foundation is a Utah non-profit 501(c)(3) organization responsible for managing and maintaining world-class Olympic legacy facilities and providing opportunities for people of all ages and abilities to participate, educate, and excel in winter sports. Inspired by the success and momentum of the 2002 Salt Lake Olympic Winter Games, the Foundation has turned its focus toward embracing, engaging and involving Utah's youth in winter sport. From community-based recreational camps, progression-oriented development programs to its official designation as an Olympic Training Site, the foundation - including both Utah Olympic Park and Oval facilities - represent the future of winter sports in North America. For more information, please visit UtahOlympicLegacy.com or call 435-658-4200.
Melanie Welch
Marketing Manager
P.O. Box 980337 3419 Olympic Parkway
Park City UT 84098 www.UtahOlympicLegacy.com
(435) 658-4212 Melanie@UtahOlympicLegacy.com
Utah Athletic Foundation (dba Utah Olympic Legacy Foundation) is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization. The Foundation provides sport programs, education, and recreation opportunities for people of all ages and abilities, especially youth. All purchases, donations and fundraising support these efforts.