SALT LAKE CITY, Feb. 16 /PRNewswire/ -- Idaho, Nevada and Utah are
offering visitors to the 2002 Winter Olympic Games an opportunity to learn
more about each of the three states at the Western States Discovery Center
located at 222 South Main Street in Salt Lake City.
The center is open from 11:00 a.m. until 12:00 Midnight for the duration
of the Olympics, until the close of the Paralympics on March 16.
Center visitors access Olympic news updates, send free E-mail postcards to
friends or family and have tourism and economic development information
forwarded to their homes or businesses.
More than 1,000 E-mail messages have been sent from the center since it
opened February 7th.
"The E-Postcards are popular," says Celeste Becia, Idaho Department of
Commerce. "In fact, we've expanded the program to allow users to check their
personal E-mail at home."
In honor of Idaho's Olympic athletes, as well as Idahoans serving as
volunteers at the games, state officials have designated February 16 and 21 as
"Idaho Day."
Nine Idaho athletes are racing or have participated in the 2002 Winter
Olympic Games. In addition to the legendary Picabo Street, snowboarders
Sondra Van Ert and Lisa Kosglow are both World Cup veterans. Others from Idaho
include Jeret Peterson, aerialist; Alpine racer Dane Spencer and Tessa Benoit,
cross-country. Greg Sun of Moscow, Idaho is representing Trinidad in the
two-man bobsled races and the father-son team of Werner and Chris Hoeger
represented Venezuela in the luge singles.
Idaho has three athletes in the Paralympic games to be held in Salt Lake
City, March 7-16. 1998 Paralympic Bronze medalist Muffy Davis of Sun Valley
will join Jacob Rife of Pocatello and Lacey Heward of Boise.
Idaho citizens playing critical roles in the success of the 2002 Olympics,
from providing security to grooming the trails, include four-time Olympic
biathlete Lyle Nelson, of McCall, manager of Soldier Hollow. Mike Fischer of
Boise is a retired U.S. Army Major responsible for computer operations,
including scoring systems, race timing and results distribution for Olympic
competitions at Park City, Deer Valley and Olympic Park. Travis Jones of
Boise is Chief of Fore Runners for Nordic events. He and his crew of 40 top
junior racers from around the U.S. are making sure conditions are the same for
every racer, whether they are first or last in the event.
SOURCE Idaho Department of Commerce
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CONTACT:
Georgia Smith, +1-208-334-2470, or Ron
Gardner, +1-801-359-3928, both of Idaho Department of Commerce
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