VANOC singing new tune on Right To Play

It appears the Vancouver Organizing Committee is softening its position on having Right To Play in the athletes village at the 2010 Winter Olympics after all the adverse publicity the disclosure of their plans in that regard has caused.

As can be seen below in the letter to the editor they sent today to various Canadian newspapers, they are singing a far different tune that the one they were warbling last week when they were definitely declaring that Right To Play would not be in the athletes village.

Not only did they state they weren’t being allowed in the village, but VANOC v-p Andrea Shaw made a point of sending the Star a subsequent e-mail stating that it was their understanding the International Olympic Committee had taken the position that Right To Play could no longer be part of the Olympic Games.

Well, Emanuelle Moreau of the IOC told my colleague Jim Byers in an e-mail today that: “The IOC has been supporting Olympic Aid/Right to Play since its creation and has agreed to provide them with privileged access and position during the Olympic Games. We are currently reviewing the details of our collaboration.”

Stay tuned.

(Here's the VANOC letter; You might want to read the original story after reading this new position.)

Dear Editor,

Recent media coverage regarding challenges associated with Right To Play’s possible presence and role in the Athletes’ Village at the 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver and Whistler requires clarification.

Right To Play is an organization the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC) has and continues to fully and whole-heartedly support. We respect their vision, mission and mandate and greatly admire the work they have done around the world. We have athletes and executives on our team who are Right To Play board members, ambassadors and supporters.

VANOC has been in ongoing discussions with Right To Play to establish a formal partnership that would allow them to deliver on a number of their key programs in association with the 2010 Winter Games. Over this time it has been extremely heartening to see them enjoy great success in securing many new sponsors to help fund their programs and initiatives. We fully support these fundraising initiatives. This new dynamic does, however, require both of our organizations to be diligent in protecting the rights we’ve promised to our sponsors.

Our 2010 sponsors have made significant and unprecedented financial commitments totalling over $1 billion to the 2010 Winter Games, the Canadian Olympic teams, Own the Podium 2010, numerous grassroots sports initiatives and other charities. As such, VANOC has a responsibility to protect the exclusivity that has been promised to our sponsors to ensure the success of the 2010 Winter Games and the long-term financial support of high performance and grassroots sport in Canada. As a matter of trust we must deliver on our promises, which will help ensure that support for amateur athletes will continue long after the 2010 Games.

One of these sponsors is General Motors, which has been unfairly blamed for interfering with Right To Play’s desire to have a presence in the Athletes’ Village. Not true. To the contrary, GM has strongly encouraged us to find a way to work with Right To Play. The 2010 Winter Games, Canada’s Olympians and children across the country who participate in sport are far better off because of sponsors like General Motors.

Our door is open to Right To Play and always has been. We have informed them that we would like to continue our discussions but with assurances that Right To Play activities and sponsors will not be positioned in a way that could infringe on the rights of Olympic sponsors. We are optimistic that a solution can be found through which Right To Play can do their great work during the 2010 Winter Games while we deliver completely on the promises we have made to our valued sponsors in return for their generous support for the 2010 Winter Games, Canadian Olympic athletes and sport in Canada.

Yours sincerely,

Dave Cobb

Executive Vice President

Revenue, Marketing and Communications VANOC

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Right To Play put out this statement Wednesday:

"Right To Play is currently in discussions with VANOC, and we are hopeful of finding a solution that allows Right To Play to be in the Village while addressing VANOC's concerns regarding the rights of Olympic sponsors.

"Our primary focus is always the children in our programs. We work every day to improve the lives of children in the most disadvantaged parts of the world by using the power of sport and play for development, health and peace. The only way we can do this is through the generous support of our corporate partners and donors who believe in this mission. Our corporate partners keep Right To Play’s programs running.

Right To Play will be in Vancouver at the next Olympic Games as our heritage is the Olympic Games and the organization has been founded on the best values of sport. In addition, we are supported by Athlete Ambassadors from more than 40 countries – many of whom are Olympians.”

Comments

[Aaron Campbell]

Still sounds like they are going to let GM dictate things once this story cools down, doesn't it?

Makes me ill!

[Tabber]

From the Star article: "Andrea Shaw, VANOC's VP of marketing, said it was their decision to not allow Right To Play into the athletes village." Seems like VANOC has its own internal problems, given the statement by Dave Cobb. This does not bode well for 2010. Maybe the IOC should take the games away from VANOC if this is how they are going to operate, since this organization is showing their incompetence already. Or, leave it as is and see the negative pub for IOC, not that it'llbother them as long as they get the 5 star hotel rooms and similar treatment to emperors. What a bunch of freeloaders!

[anjilinjones]

Right To Play was barred from the athletes village for the 2010 Vancouver Olympics. Now, it looks as if the athlete-powered humanitarian organization is also getting booted out of the Olympic movement.
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jones
Internet Marketing