OLYMPIC SEND OFF FOR TRAVIS CROSS! (and other BC Wrestlers)

You may remember me telling you last Wedneday that Tom McEvay and Alberni Wrestling were working on a local send off for Travis Cross. I said at the time that while details were still spotty, it would be a send off of "McEvay-i-an" proportions.

And that's why I love Tom....he pulls through and makes things like THIS happen.

For immediate release.....

A Local Olympic Send Off For Travis Cross and His Teammates Tuesday Night!

Everyone in Port Alberni has one last chance to come out and meet our very own Olympian Travis Cross and wish him and his team Canada teammates all the best at the 2008 Olympic Games in China. Local organizers have just announced that they have confirmation from Canada's Olympic wrestling team coaches that Cross and two of his Olympic teammates Matt Gentry and Haislan Garcia will be in the valley next week to train for 2 days. During their short visit to Port Alberni local supporters have organized a special Olympic tribute night and send off for these amazing athletes.

COME OUT TO THE ADSS GYM TUESDAY NIGHT JULY 22 AT 7:30 PM AND SHOW THAT YOU ARE WITH TRAVIS AND HIS TEAMMATES AS THEY HEAD TO THE BIGGEST SHOW ON EARTH. SHOW YOUR NATIONAL PRIDE AND YOUR APPRECIATION FOR TRUE CANADIAN HEROS.

Tuesday night will be the last official public appearance for Cross as he prepares for the the Olympic Games. Cross and the Canadian team are in Vancouver training for 10 days at the National Wrestling Centre at Burnaby Mountain but local organizers convinced their coaches that two days in Port Alberni would be a good change of venue. They also stressed that there isn't another community in Canada where these athletes would get the same level of appreciation that Port Alberni would give them.

Alberni Wrestling Director Tom McEvay emphasized that they hope to fill the ADSS gym to capacity on Tuesday night. "What a great boost of confidence and National pride it will be when several hundred people come out to show they care on Tuesday night. So many people have been part of Travis's journey that we really wanted to give the community this opportunity to come out and celebrate his amazing accomplishments and to let him know they will be with him all the way. We also wanted to give the other two BC members of the Canadian team Matt and Heislan that same feeling. We really hope people will come out in force Tuesday night."

The Tuesday evening event will feature a short training session, some matches for Island high school wrestlers trying out for the Island BC Games team and then full out matches between the Olympians and some of their top training partners. It will include the singing of our National anthem and an autograph session with the athletes at the end of the night. The entire evening will be free of charge and is open to anyone and everyone who can make it. McEvay stressed that, "we really hope to see lots of kids out since Travis is such an outstanding role model for the youth or our community."

Travis and the Canadian team leave for Beijing on August 5th to be there in time for the Opening Ceremonies on August 8th and then to have 2 weeks of training and acclimatization before their big days. Travis's big day is Thursday August 21st when he competes in the 84 kg weight class. CBC have confirmed they will be following Travis's story in Beijing but live coverage at the Olympics is never certain. If it is aired live, the preliminary rounds of the 84 kg division start at 9:30 am that morning which is 4:30 pm Wednesday August 20th back home here on the west coast. The placing and medal matches are scheduled for 4 pm August 21st which would mean a late night for people watching here in Port Alberni on the 20th.

"We have had several people suggest they they are thinking of organizing a big screen at a central site in the Valley. Councillor Ike Patterson has suggested Echo as a site and Dean Montgomery of Boston Pizza is very interested in doing something at their restaurant. I know that Travis's colleagues at the Port Alberni Fire Department are planning something for their members. I will be away in China myself from August 8th so I really hope some of these events will happen so everyone at home can feel a part of the final stage in Travis's Olympic journey."