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CLICK HERE for UPDATED PAGE Jackie Joyner-Kersee, winner of six Olympic medals, carried the Olympic Flame as part of the Relay Team. Olympic Spirit Burns at Jackie Joyner-Kersee Youth Club "This is a proud honor for me and my brother and for the community here in East St. Louis," stated Jackie Joyner-Kersee at the JJK Center. "It's great when the Olympic torch can come through our community and we as a whole can show that we are proud to be a part of the Olympic movement," stated Joyner-Kersee. Ericha Vickers, age 8, of East St. Louis, was honored as the winner of the Coca-Cola Community Canvas Art Contest. Al Joyner and Jackie Joyner-Kersee stand behind Vickers at the JJK Center. Text and photos by Bob Moore © 2002, Southwest Illinois News EAST ST. LOUIS, Jan. 8, 2002 - A very enthusiastic crowd gathered at the Jackie Joyner-Kersee Youth Center, located in East St. Louis, Illinois, to welcome the Olympic Torch Relay Team. As the convoy carrying the Olympic Flame arrived around 2:30 on its way to St. Louis, a loud cheer greeted Jackie Joyner-Kersee and her brother, Al Joyner, members of the Olympic Torch Relay Team. Prior to the festivities at the JJK Youth Center, Richard Daniels, member of the Olympic Torch Relay Team, commented on the logistics of the Relay. "It's a 65-day tour that started in Atlanta, GA on Dec 4. We'll be done with the tour Feb 8, which is the first day of the Olympics in Salt Lake City. There will be a total of about 13,500 miles through 46 states." Daniels noted that there would be almost 11,500 torchbearers carrying the Flame, 3,500 which are sponsored by Chevrolet. The other torchbearers are sponsored by Coca-Cola or directly by the Salt Lake City organizing committee. Daniels emphasized that the concept of the relay was to bring the Olympic Spirit to the people and keep it at the grass-roots level. "It's for those people who won't make it to Salt Lake City and see the Olympics firsthand. This gives the average American person an opportunity to experience the Olympics in their own backyard," he said. "The response has been phenomenal," stated Daniels. "The American people support this and I think more so now than they would have otherwise because of the things that happened on September 11. The timing was good to bring the Olympic Spirit and distract people from all the bad things that have been going on in America. This is one huge positive that people can focus on." "It's not just about the celebrity that runs with the torch, it's about the average person that runs with the torch that has been our focus," stated Daniels. Excited kids from Madison School wave flags and cheer as the Olympic Torch Relay Team passes near Seventh and Chouteau in St. Louis. Archived Stories: Jazz Guitarist Eddie Fisher Honored at Book & CD Release Party Miles 2001 Festival Draws Thousands of Jazz Fans MetroLink Extension in St. Clair County Opens East St. Louis Library Built Brick by Brick Home Team Helps Two St. Louis-area Families Achieve Dream of Home Ownership Local Cisco Networking Academy Habitat for Humanity JJK B&G Grand Opening Mayor Christens Crown Hotel Happy Birthday, Katherine Dunham New Library For East St. Louis MetroLink Brings Viability to East St. Louis Return to Southwest Illinois News Southwest Illinois News & Saint Louis Front Page is owned and maintained by the Moore Design Group for the sole purpose of disseminating news and information about the Metropolitan Saint Louis area. Text or graphics may not be copied, rewritten or distributed in any manner whatsoever without written permission. For more information, contact editor@slfp.com All rights reserved world wide © 1996 - 2008 Moore Design Group.