Message from Jim and Pirie to Committee

Dear friends,

We would like to thank you for your time, talent and enthusiasm over the past few weeks in our joint pursuit of hosting the 2009 Special Olympics World Winter Games. Everyone involved thus far has helped to mold our 'Share the Dream' vision and we had two wonderful days with Jon-Paul St Germain on Monday and Tuesday. Because of your efforts, we learned today that Special Olympics International Headquarters has asked Idaho to submit a formal bid! We have officially moved into the next phase...........making the dream come true.

Below is the official email from Jon Paul, which includes an extension of the bid deadline until March 3rd. We believe those additional fourteen days gives us a golden opportunity to turn a great bid into an excellent bid. The next 34 days will be filled with long hours of work, the building of new relationships, the forging of joint commitments from throughout Idaho, and if we have our way, a great deal of fun and laughter. If we all fully commit and do this right, the world will come to Idaho in 2009 for eleven days and share the magic we all know exists in the Gem State.

At our meeting on Wednesday, we will begin the process of building a business plan that will support the dream. We will look to you and the people you know to take a very active role in the 10,000 things that must be done to submit the winning bid. Enjoy your weekend and wake up Monday ready to go for the gold. If you have any immediate questions, please contact Salle at 229-1115

Thank you again for you commitment to the mission of Special Olympics and the two million athletes and their families worldwide who benefit everyday from being given the chance to dream.

Remember... Share the Magic,

Jim and Pirie Grossman


Dear Jim and Pirie,

After conducting our initial site assessment, Special Olympics, Inc. is pleased to invite you to submit a bid to host the 2009 Special Olympics World Winter Games. We understand the effort to organize and submit an official bid from Idaho would be undertaken directly by yourselves. Support from Special Olympics Idaho, Randy Schubert of SOI and the World Games and Competition Department at SOI headquarters is available as needed.

We have reassessed the timeline for the bid process and have decided to push back the submission date to March 3rd. An official announcement of the revised process will be sent to you
this Monday.

Best Regards,
Jon-Paul St. Germain
Games Operations Director
Special Olympics, Inc.
1133 19th Street NWWashington, DC
20036