THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, June 20, 1996 TAG: 9606200398
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY ED MILLER, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: 132 lines
In its eight-week zigzag across the U.S., the Olympic flame has been carried by thousands of runners. It also has traveled by plane, train, motorcycle, bicycle, cable car, canoe, steamboat and horseback.
It has passed through burned-out urban areas and pristine countryside. It crossed Puget Sound on a ferry and Lake Erie on a 635-foot iron ore ship.
Sworn Georgia patrolmen guard it 24 hours a day. Each night, the torch beds down in its own hotel room.
It has been carried by the famous and the anonymous, and has been cheered by millions. It's been dropped, once, on the Tacoma Narrows Bridge in Washington.
And on Friday, the flame comes to Virginia. It starts day 56 of the 84-day, 15,000-mile Olympic Torch Relay at the White House. The flame then will cross the Potomac into Arlington and proceed through Northern Virginia to Charlottesville, then on to Richmond.
The relay resumes at 7 a.m. Saturday, as the flame heads from Richmond to Petersburg, then down Route 1 to South Hill, where it will pause for a lunch celebration before crossing into North Carolina.
For residents of South Hampton Roads, this is as close as the torch relay will get. The Richmond-Petersburg-South Hill leg will bring the flame within two hours of most area residents.
Eleven area residents are scheduled to carry the flame Friday and Saturday. According to a Chesapeake man who carried it in Chicago on June 3, they're in for the thrill of a lifetime.
``Running it was just the ultimate high,'' said Peter Kaurup of Great Bridge. ``Even though it was only two blocks, it was a great experience.''
The 10,000 runners who will carry the flame were chosen in three ways. Some were picked through a United Way program that recognizes ``Community Heroes.'' Others were selected by corporate sponsors. The remainder are former Olympians or VIPs.
Kaurup, a station manager for Delta Airlines in Norfolk, was selected by the airline after being nominated by his employees. Delta was given 96 spots in the relay, and Kaurup was chosen from more than 60,000 employees.
Kaurup carried the flame near the intersection of 53rd and Michigan on Chicago's tough South Side.
``The police couldn't believe we were even in the neighborhood,'' Kaurup said. ``But it brought a lot of smiles to the community that day.
``Before I ran we had about 50 members of the neighborhood come out, and we passed the torch around and let them hold it. Some people were actually in tears. For a few minutes that neighborhood that was really dreary and had some challenges - to say the least - came alive.''
Each runner is given a torch, and the flame is passed by touching one torch to another. Afterward, runners can buy their torch for $275. Kaurup's employees purchased his torch for him, and he has taken it to business meetings and elementary schools.
The flame's Virginia trek will take it by Mount Vernon, the Rotunda at the University of Virginia, and the state Capitol.
In South Hill, a town of about 4,000, a crowd of 12,000 is expected.
``They told me this is a once-in-a-lifetime experience,'' said Betsy Sjurseth, who is organizing the South Hill celebration. ``I say once in a lifetime is all me and my committee can handle.''
Rosa Edwards, a teacher at Alanton Elementary School in Virginia Beach, will carry the flame Saturday in Richmond. She had to pinch herself after finding out she was chosen.
``I'm feeling very blessed and humbled by it all,'' Edwards said. ``It could be anyone, because we have so many people who do outstanding community service.''
The maximum distance any runner can carry the torch is one kilometer. Most Richmond runners will carry it just a few blocks.
Lonnie Blow, a teacher at Norfolk's Granby High, plans to savor his turn Friday night in Richmond.
``I've played the run in my mind several times,'' Blow said. ``I've told my friends, `Don't expect me to run too fast.' '' ILLUSTRATION: MARTIN SMITH-RODDEN
The Virginian-Pilot
Peter Kaurup of Chesapeake, a Delta Airlines manager, carried the
torch in Chicago June 3.
Map
TORCH BEARERS
Area residents carrying the Olympic Torch this week:
Dr. John Atkins, Virginia Beach: Retired dentist who provided
dental care to villages in Africa and India.
Lou Ann Baines, Virginia Beach: 1996 graduate of Green Run High;
president of partnership project with Creeds Elementary; member of
National Honor Society.
Lonnie Blow, Norfolk: Teacher and basketball coach at Granby
High; counsels young people at Norfolk detention center; saved a
child from a burning house last year.
Rosa Edwards, Virginia Beach: Teacher at Alanton Elementary;
founded a multicultural club at the school.
Charles Harrell, Chesapeake.
Jamie Labbe, Virginia Beach: President of the student government
at Virginia Wesleyan College; works with Muscular Dystrophy
Association.
Elizabeth Linville, Virginia Beach: A rising sophomore at Cox
High; a volunteer with the SPCA; manager of the Cox swim team.
Bruce Rader, Portsmouth: WAVY-TV sports anchor; works with
Muscular Dystrophy Association.
Nelson Slavin, Norfolk: The oldest area torch carrier at 83;
long-time community volunteer.
Skip Sweetser, Virginia Beach: Member of 1960 U.S. Olympic crew
team; will carry torch today in Annapolis, Md.
Thomas Trethewey, Virginia Beach: Member of 1964 U.S. Olympic
swim team.
Janice Trombley, Virginia Beach: Member of 1984 U.S. Olympic
handball team; played on Old Dominion University's national
championship women's basketball teams in '79 and '80.
THE ROUTE
Where to see the torch relay:
Friday: The relay will come into Richmond from Charlottesville on
I-64, via motorcycle, about 9:25 p.m. It will enter Richmond at I-64
and Broad Street, and turn right on Staples Mill Road. It will make
a left on Monument Avenue, then a right on 9th Street, passing the
Capitol. From there it turns left on Bank Street and right on 10th
Street. It is scheduled to arrive at the Tredegar Iron Works about
10:30 p.m.
Saturday: The flame will leave the Capitol grounds about 7 a.m.
It will turn right on East Broad Street, then right on 25th Street
to Main Street, where it will turn right. From Main Street the relay
turns left on Belvedere and heads on Route 1/301 to Petersburg.
A brief ceremony will be held in Petersburg's historic area. The
relay will leave Petersburg via Washington Street and head south on
U.S. Route 1 on motorcycle. It will arrive in South Hill about 1:23
p.m. at Route 1 and State Road 138, near Cahills Restaurant. The
torch will arrive at Dogwood Triangle Park in South Hill about 1:39
p.m. It will leave the park around 2:09 p.m., heading on Route 1
south, to Route 58 West, then to Route 4 south to the North Carolina
line. by CNB