FEATURE/Forty U.S. Olympic Team Hopefuls Nationwide Receive New Vehicles to Help Support Olympic Dream
Asset Caption: Hood River, Oregon, native and U.S. Snowboard Team member Anton Pogue shows his excitement behind the wheel of his new Chevrolet Silverado, presented to him by Cliff Smith Motors Chevrolet, one of 4,300 dealers across the country participating in Chevrolet The Team Behind The Team program. The Team Behind The Team is designed to help relieve some of the burdens that Olympic training can put on an athlete and his or her family.
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DETROIT--(BUSINESS WIRE FEATURES)--Jan. 17, 2002--
Forty U.S. Olympic Team hopefuls representing all eight Winter Olympic sports received new Chevrolet vehicles as part of a unique vehicle donation program that supports aspiring athletes by providing them with vehicles to help them achieve their Olympic dreams.
Since late June, aspiring American athletes have been receiving vehicles from Chevrolet The Team Behind The Team through Chevrolet's network of 4,300 dealerships nationwide. Designed to help relieve some of the burdens that Olympic training can put on an athlete and his or her family, the vehicle donation program kicked-off this summer in New York with a surprise on national television when speed skating great Bonnie Blair presented bobsledder Joe McDonald and his brother, Brian, a skeleton sledder, with a Chevrolet Tahoe and Silverado, respectively.
In addition to the Tahoe and Silverado, Chevrolet The Team Behind The Team athletes are also being put behind the wheel of the Venture and Malibu, all of which are certain to help meet daily transportation needs. Vehicle assignments are based on athlete training and transportation needs.
"Chevrolet is proud to continue its long history of supporting aspiring U.S. Olympic athletes through The Team Behind The Team vehicle donation program," said Mac Whisner, Chevrolet director of truck advertising and sales promotion. "The Team Behind The Team helps ease the burden many athletes and their families face in pursuit of their Olympic dreams, namely by providing athletes with the reliable and high quality transportation they need to compete and train."
An Advisory Panel comprised of some of America's greatest U.S. Olympians ranked and selected the Chevrolet The Team Behind The Team athletes for the 2002 Olympic Winter Games. Representing this year's Advisory Panel are the following Olympic gold medalists: Speed skaters Bonnie Blair and Dan Jansen; figure skaters Peggy Fleming and Kristi Yamaguchi; skier Phil Mahre and track and field athlete Evelyn Ashford.
U.S. Olympic Team hopefuls who were considered for one of the 40 Chevrolet vehicles submitted a detailed application consisting of financial information, competitive history and placements, and a short essay describing why they should be selected. Selection was based on financial need, training and competition requirements and qualification as a U.S. Olympic Team hopeful. Rankings were then tabulated to determine the recipients of the vehicles.
JK Group, Inc., an independent company that manages corporate philanthropic programs, was enlisted by Chevrolet to administer The Team Behind The Team selection process. The JK Group spearheaded the development of the overall process after receiving a list of prospective U.S. Olympic Team hopefuls who would be eligible for the program from the National Governing Bodies (NGB) of sport.
Chevrolet, which is General Motors' lead division for the Salt Lake 2002 Olympic Winter Games, has a long history of supporting the spirit of the Olympic Games through partnerships with many National Governing Bodies of Sport, including the U.S. Ski and Snowboarding Association, U.S. Figure Skating Association and USA Hockey. These partnerships, along with The Team Behind The Team program and Chevrolet's role as a presenting sponsor of the Salt Lake 2002 Olympic Torch Relay, elevate Chevrolet's commitment to providing transportation solutions for the Olympic Games.
The Team Behind The Team program was first established in 1999 when it donated vehicles to 100 U.S. Olympic hopefuls who aspired to make the team for the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia.
Chevrolet is the largest division of General Motors, which is the official domestic automotive sponsor of the U.S. Olympic Team through 2004. Headquartered in Detroit, Chevrolet fulfills the transportation needs of more than 36 million Americans daily -- more than any other manufacturer -- and offers the broadest lineup of cars, trucks and vans in the industry.
EDITOR'S NOTE: To download photographs of select athletes from this year's program, please visit http://media.gm.com. A complete list of all forty athletes can be found at http://www.gm.com/company/news_events/2002Olympics/TTBTT/index.html.
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