THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST ECONOMIC REGION JOINS THE 2010 WINTER GAMES TEAM

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

January 12, 2010  

SEATTLE, WA- With exactly one month to the opening of the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver, British Columbia, the Pacific NorthWest Economic Region (PNWER) is pleased to become the first bi-national community contributor of the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC). PNWER has supported VANOC since the bid phase, seeing the 2010 Winter Games as an outstanding opportunity for the entire region's economy.

"We are excited that PNWER is joining as a community contributor, " said Taleeb Noormohamed, VANOC VP of National and International Partnerships. "PNWER's longstanding support for the Games is well known - and today we are able to formalize their important contribution to the 2010 Winter Games. PNWER's interest in building stronger North American relationships makes it a great organization to collaborate with in order to inspire future partnerships." VANOC's Community Contributor Program was designed to engage various groups in the Games and invite their active participation in welcoming the world in 2010. In exchange for their support, PNWER will receive a wide range of benefits that create business networking opportunities and the ability to purchase tickets.

PNWER and its partners have been working with Canadian and US officials to promote improvements to crossing the border, including the development of additional passenger train service between Vancouver, Seattle, and Portland. The organization also played a strong role in the development of the Enhanced Driver's license, which many visitors to the Games will be using to cross the border. The organization will also look at the lessons learned throughout the Games to identify additional priorities for the future. 

"The 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games are an unprecedented opportunity to create growth and opportunity throughout the entire Pacific Northwest. PNWER has been a strong partner since the original bid, and their continued support is welcome as we count down to the start of the Games," said Gordon Campbell, Premier of British Columbia. PNWER is a public-private partnership that includes British Columbia, Alberta, the Northwest Territories, Saskatchewan and Yukon as its Canadian members, together with the US states of Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington. PNWER President and Alaska State Senator Lesil McGuire says, "These Games are a reminder of the economic, cultural, and athletic ties that bind our region together."

PNWER members will be involved with not only the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic Games, but also the Paralympic Games, which begin in mid-March. The State of Oregon will be sending a delegation of disabled veterans to watch the Opening Ceremonies of the Paralympic Games. During the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games, PNWER will be holding special events in Vancouver celebrating the outstanding tourism destinations and business opportunities of the region, as well as leading a discussion on the future of the US-Canada relationship. Some of these activities will be held at Canada's Northern House, the Olympic home to PNWER members Yukon and Northwest Territories, together with Nunavut. 

About PNWER 

PNWER is a regional US-Canadian forum dedicated to encouraging global economic competitiveness and preserving our world-class natural environment. Because of its successes, PNWER is recognized in both the United States and Canada as a model for regional and bi-national cooperation. Visit www.pnwer.org 

About VANOC 

VANOC is responsible for the planning, organizing, financing and staging of the XXI Olympic Winter Games and the X Paralympic Winter Games in 2010. The Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games will be staged in Vancouver and Whistler from February 12 to 28, 2010. Vancouver and Whistler will host the Paralympic Winter Games from March 12 to 21, 2010. Visit www.vancouver2010.com 

Contact: 

PNWER, Ian Burkheimer, ianb@pnwer.org, 253-444-1387 

VANOC Communications, Katie Green, katie_green@vancouver2010.com, 604-403-6273 

###