Rio Adds to Hotel Inventory
Rio 2016 has secured a pledge for 1,830 additional hotel rooms from the Windsor hotel chain, which could help alleviate concerns by the IOC Evaluation Commission about the availability of cruise ships.
"Floating" rooms form a significant part of the Rio accommodations plan.
The 1,830 rooms include two new hotels with 500 and 450 rooms that will be built in Barra da Tijuca, the zone which will contain the most sports venues. Windsor will also finish refurbishing the 540-room Hotel Meridién, which faces the proposed beach volleyball site at Cobacabana, in October 2010.
The company will also open a new 140-room development next year and finish remodeling the Hotel Flórida, which has an additional 200 rooms.
Since Rio 2016 submitted its candidature file in February, 11 more hotels have signed Games accommodation contracts guaranteeing further 4,577 rooms in Rio de Janeiro and the cities that will host football matches (São Paulo, Salvador, Belo Horizonte and Brasília).
Rio Citizens Show Support, Plant Trees
Rio 2016 sponsor Bradesco unveiled a giant screen last weekend that shows photos supporting the bid that have been provided by thousands of "cariocas," as Rio citizens are known.
The Bradesco screen is 60m high and 40m wide and faces Copacabana Beach. The photos will be displayed on the screen until Oct. 1, the day before the IOC vote in Copenhagen. To see the photos or send an image to be shown on the screen, visit www.presencario2016.com.br.
Last Sunday, about 25,000 people cycled past proposed Rio 2016 venues including Copacabana Beach and Flamengo Park to support the bid and celebrate World Car Free Day.
Rio 2016 also celebrated National Tree Day by participating in the planting of 3,580 saplings at the city's Botanical Garden. The trees, among 46,000 planted throughout the country, are part of the "Rio 2016 Zero Carbon" project to offset carbon emissions.
About 100 children from local schools attended the festivities at the Botanical Garden and were given plants and special ecological shopping bags to discourage the use of plastic bags.
Rio 2016 says it will offset 716 tons of carbon emissions relative to the period September 2007 to October 2009.
The proposal for the "Green Games" includes planting more than 3 million trees in strategic parts of Tijuca Forest.
Dear IOC Member, Signed, President Barack Obama
A group of IOC members have received letters from U.S. President Barack Obama, dispatched Sep. 10 from the White House.
While one news report says a White House source says the letter was sent to “targeted” IOC members, one recipient, a member in Europe, says the letter should be sent to every IOC member.
“It would be suicidal not to send it to all,” he said.
Rules of the IOC allow written communication from the candidate cities to the IOC members, into which the letter would seem to fall.
Written the day before he announced Michelle Obama would go to Copenhagen, the letter remains open-ended on whether the president would be able to travel to Copenhagen.
The text of the letter:
September 10, 2009Dear [IOC member]: I deeply appreciate the tremendous work of the Olympic Movement and wish to convey my strong support for Chicago 2016. Around the world, sports play a vital role in filling young people with hope, providing a foundation for respect, and leading nations toward greater friendship and excellence. I have seen the transformative power of the Olympic Games to unite men and women across all boundaries, and I hold the mission of the Olympic Movement in the highest esteem.That is why I have been committed to Chicago 2016 since the launch of the bid in 2006. The City of Chicago is designed to host global celebrations, and it will deliver a spectacular Olympic experience for one and all. However, it is not the quality of the setting or the experience alone that compels me to recommend Chicago to you. I also believe that Chicago 2016 offers the United States and the International Olympic Committee a unique chance to collaborate on sport development and build a better future for young people everywhere.As President, I see the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games as an extraordinary opportunity for America to renew our bonds of friendship and welcome the world to our shores with open arms. If you honor Chicago with your selection, we will ensure that the Olympic and Paralympic Games are a key priority for our Nation. We have already established a White House Office of Olympic, Paralympic and Youth Sport to serve the Games, and you can count on our government to support Chicago’s quest to host an unforgettable event and strengthen the Olympic Movement. As a member of the International Olympic Committee, the work you do is invaluable to all of us who are committed to building a better world. Thank you for your enduring contributions to youth sport and the Olympic Movement. I believe we have an historic opportunity to do great things together, and I look forward to discussing that opportunity with you, if not in Copenhagen, then soon thereafter if Chicago is your choice. Sincerely,
President Barack ObamaWritten by Karen Rosen and Ed Hula.
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