Alaska State Legislature
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Wendy Lindskoog (907) 465-4582
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Juneau, AK 99801
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Legislature Endorses 2001 World Special Olympics Winter Games

For Immediate Release: April 16, 1998 Contact: Mary Gore, Assistant to Senate President Mike Miller, at (907) 465-3803.

Juneau – The House Thursday overwhelmingly passed Senate Bill 261 obligating the State of Alaska to help cover costs generated by the 2001 World Special Olympics Winter Games in Anchorage should the Special Olympics Organizing Committee fall short of its eight million dollar fundraising goal.

"Today the Legislature showed its complete confidence in the Special Olympics Organizing Committee’s ability to execute one of the largest events Alaska has ever held. Hosting the Special Olympics World Winter Games in Anchorage is an important undertaking for our state and our Special Olympics athletes," said bill sponsor, Senate President Mike Miller. "Hosting the Games will show the world how Alaska can host an event of such magnitude while raising awareness about Alaska Special Olympics."

Last summer, Anchorage was awarded the bid to host the Special Olympics Winter Games contingent on the State agreeing to be the financial guarantor of the Games. Realizing the benefits to Alaska and the State’s Special Olympic athletes, Senate President Mike Miller, House Speaker Gail Phillips and the administration agreed that the state would back the Games.

"When we were awarded the Games, we became an official Olympic state," said House Speaker Gail Phillips. "The event will bring thousands of winter visitors to Alaska and it will help our state to be considered a venue for future large scale winter events including the International Winter Olympic Games."

According to Patti McGuire, chairperson of the 2001 Special Olympics Games Board, because there is a tremendous amount of local support, the Board feels confident that the fundraising committee will have no problems reaching its goal -- four million dollars cash, which the state will be obligated to cover under SB 261, and four million dollars in in-kind contributions.

The legislation will establish the Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority (AIDEA) as the controlling agency to oversee the organizing committee’s fundraising activities. The committee will be required to report to the Legislature on January 2 of each year the total funds raised to date. In the event that the money is not raised, the Legislature would be "morally obligated" to cover any costs, up to four million dollars in the year 2001.

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