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Feb. 8, 2010 Source: National 4-H news release 4-H'ers Kelcie Thomas and Laura Webber were given the opportunity of a lifetime on Jan. 18. The two were selected to participate in the Olympic Torch Relay for the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver, Canada. "It was an amazing, incredible experience," said Thomas. "You can't take your eyes off the flame. It's really emotional and makes you want to cry." They were among eight other youth, several Coca-Cola employees and Olympic athletes who were all selected by Coca-Cola to be Torchbearers based on their community involvement. They each carried the flame 300 meters in Calgary, Canada. The morning of the relay, Thomas and Webber practiced the "kiss of the flame," the moment when the flame is passed from one person's torch to the next. Thomas decided to carry the torch in a unique style, running, skipping and dancing down the road. Her project, "Creating a Healthier You," helped educate over 245,000 elementary school children about healthy eating and exercise habits. Relay organizers planned the course so that her relay segment extended an additional 100 meters in front of an elementary school, where many children watched the ceremony. Webber was selected for her role in founding the 4-H Million Trees Project, which inspires 4-H youth members to plant trees to help combat global climate change. To date, over 25,000 participants in 42 U.S. states and Canadian provinces have planted over 70,000 trees. When they weren't carrying the torch, Thomas and Webber spent time with other Coca-Cola torchbearers, including Olympic gold medalists Steven Lopez and Shawn Johnson. The Olympic Torch Relay, will last for 106 days, cover more than 27,000 miles and link together more than 1,000 communities and places of interest throughout Canada. The Olympic Winter Games begin Feb. 12. Tweet |
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