And thank you so much Carl Lewis and all of our friends who are gathered here this morning. I am Deedee Corradini, Mayor of Salt Lake City, and President of the U.S. Conference of Mayors. With me is Tom Cochran, Executive Director of the Conference. As Mayors we will take many important steps for the youth in our cities in the coming year, focusing not only on their physical health, but also their safety and their education, just to name a few.
Today is a very significant milestone on that journey for kids in all of our cities.
Today we announce the Mayors' Sports Challenge , an exciting new partnership between the NikeTowns and Mayors, educators and kids in eleven cities. As the Mayor for the Host City for the 2002 Winter Olympic Games, I am thrilled that the games will come to the U.S., bringing the finest athletes in the world to compete in peace and friendship. But we have important work to do at home. We must all share the responsibility of helping our youth realize the benefits and rewards of being active and healthy. The Mayors' Sports Challenge will do just that.