Olympic bid raises $12 mil., $37 mil. to go
'CHICAGO BELIEVES ...' | Daley eager to check out Summer Games scene in Beijing
Organizers of Chicago's Olympic bid for the 2016 Games estimated they raised more than $12 million at at a Millennium Park fund-raiser Monday night where musical and dance performances served as a backdrop for an event where the city's well-heeled could rub elbows.
The dollars raised by the event, known as "Chicago Believes . . ." and billed as a celebration and fund-raiser, made a dent in the $49 million needed to make the bid, Chicago 2016 Chairman Pat Ryan told reporters before the event kicked off in earnest.
(Dom Najolia/Sun-Times)
He says that a mix of businesses, foundations and families have contributed money that will be used to make the final pitch for the 2016 Games.
Organizers also said, as hundreds were filling a tent for a dinner, that businesses and individuals have not only signed checks, but also offered to volunteer their time.
Standing next to Pritzker Pavilion Monday night, Mayor Daley pointed to Millennium Park as an example of the city's can-do spirit -- something that will buoy Chicago leaders as they continue to make a pitch for the Olympic Games.
He'll be heading to Beijing for this summer's Olympics.
"It's a great opportunity to meet many of the young men and women representing this country," he said.
He will also have a chance to talk with Olympic organizers there and see, from the eyes of an Olympic host contender, what such an event looks like in real time.
Chicago was named one of four finalists in the race to win the 2016 Summer Olympics.
The International Olympic Committee will make a final decision on which city will host the 2016 Games in October 2009.