We hope everyone had a wonderful Memorial Day Weekend and welcome to our North Carolina USA 2027 World University Games News Update. This week is a special one in our region with regard to collegiate sports. Major congratulations are in order for Jaeda Daniel and Nell Miller of NC State University (NCAA Division I Women’s Tennis Doubles) and UNC Women’s Lacrosse Team (NCAA Division I Lacrosse) for capturing NCAA National Championships over the weekend. Coming up this week, NCAA Baseball Championships Regionals begin at UNC this Friday, June 3, and the NCAA Division II National Baseball Championships will be held in Cary at the USA Baseball National Training Complex beginning on Saturday, June 4.
Bid Motto Unveiled
The North Carolina Bid Committee (NCBC) unveiled its new Bid Motto this week: MANY TEAMS, ONE DREAM. “It was felt that the many different layers of meaning that could be derived from this simple phrase,” said Hill Carrow, Chairman & CEO of North Carolina’s 2027 World University Games Bid, “made this the ideal motto for America’s bid effort.”
With regard to Games competition, there are more than 10,000 athletes, coaches, and administrators in the Summer World University Games official delegation typically representing 150 or more teams participating in the Games. All these teams have one dream of coming together at the World University Games, performing at their best, and representing their respective countries well.
Similarly, with respect to staging the Games, the numerous local teams that it will take to host the event will need to come together seamlessly as a single team with one dream of hosting the most successful World University Games ever! Consider that North Carolina’s University Hub, the host region for the United States bid, includes more than 260,000 collegiate students representing 19 schools and their teams, coming together for the common purpose and singular dream of hosting a spectacular and successful World University Games.
Joining them in this effort will be other important teams consisting of the 5 fast-growing host counties, 5 attractive host cities, 4 major medical institutions, numerous sponsors, multiple broadcasters, host hotels, and up to 60 host venues. And let’s not forget the Games volunteers, who will be assigned in teams, such as the medical volunteer team, the venue volunteer team, the fundraising volunteer team, and transportation volunteer team, among others, who will be charged with coming together as a single, unified Games Volunteer force of 20,000 or so, with a dream [and expectation!] of delivering a top-tier, world-class 2027 World University Games.
Finally, consider the excellent timing and even global implications of such a motto. With divisiveness rearing its ugly head around the world, a motto that seeks to bring together teams (or races, or countries, or factions within countries, etc.) for a common cause is way more than a tagline – it’s a much-needed strategic plan for our times!
New WUG Bid Online Merchandise Shop Makes its Debut
An exciting new and updated online merchandise shop opens today on the North Carolina USA 2027 World University Games bid website! CLICK HERE! Or visit the SHOP tab on our World University Games bid website.
“So many people have been asking for items featuring the highly-popular bid logo,” explained Robyn Fuller and Tina Jameson, of the North Carolina Bid’s Merchandise Committee, “but, until now, there has been no logoed merchandise like that available. Therefore, we are very pleased to open the ‘renovated and updated’ shop on the bid website, and we hope that bid supporters will enjoy the new, attractive, and comfortable bid-branded wearables.”
Merchandise offered on the site includes unisex t-shirts; men’s and women’s polo shirts; unisex, men’s and women’s hoodies; and women’s racerbacks and tanks. The t-shirt offerings include two different styles of short-sleeve T’s: the Hanes Beefy T ($30) and a Softstyle T ($25). The Hanes Beefy T is available in 5 color choices while the Softstyle T is available in 13 different colors! There are three styles of bid polo shirts for purchase: a unisex Port Authority Diamond Jacquard Polo ($30) that comes in 9 colors, a Men’s Nike Dri-Fit Classic Polo ($62) with 5 color choices, and a Women’s Nike Dri-Fit Classic Polo ($52) in 6 colors.
North Carolina World University Games Bid Hoodies come in three styles: Unisex Gildan Softstyle Pullover Sweatshirt ($30) in 5 colors, New Era Men’s Tri-Blend Fleece Pullover Hoodie ($50) in 4 colors, and New Era Women’s Tri-Blend Fleece Pullover Hoodie ($50) in 5 colors. There are four style choices among Ladies Racerbacks and Tanks: New Era Ladies Heritage Blend Racerback Tank ($30) in 8 colors, OGIO Endurance Ladies Level Mesh Tank ($30) in 3 colors, Sport-Tek Ladies Posicharge Electric Heather Racerback Tank ($30) in 7 colors, and a Sport-Tek Posicharge Competitor Tank ($25) in 6 colors.
Our merchandise committee has worked diligently to get the new online store up and running. Show your support for the bid by purchasing some of the attractive offerings for friends, family, supporters, and yourself, of course!
Lake Placid Winter WUG 2023 Unveils Volunteer Uniforms
Just a little over 7 months from now, January 12-22, 2023, Lake Placid, NY, will be hosting the first Winter World University Games to be held in the U.S. since the 1970’s. Lake Placid is getting excellent reviews for its Games preparations and recently unveiled its Volunteer Uniforms for the Games. “Volunteers are a vital part of the Games so it was extremely important to us that we provide a uniform that they are proud to wear,” said Ashley Walden, Executive Director of the Adirondack Sports Council, which is serving as the Local Organizing Committee for the Games.
With a focus on sustainability, the uniforms will include recycled materials and insulations. North Carolina’s bid for the 2027 Summer World University Games also has a significant focus on sustainability and plans to take advantage of our state’s long-standing world leadership in textiles to include recycled materials in all Games uniforming and outfitting needs.
Lake Placid has completed its major test events for the Games as well as the majority of venue renovations and upgrades. The Organizing Committee is on a strong, positive trajectory to the Games, and we wish them much success!
News Briefs
Presentations: Paul Wylie, who is hard at work on those Lake Placid Winter World University Games as Director of Sport at the New York Olympic Regional Development Authority, is also well known in North Carolina as a long-time resident, Olympic Silver Medalist in Figure Skating, and three-time Honorary Chairman of the U.S. Figure Skating Championships (2011, 2015, and 2020) in Greensboro. Paul invited Hill Carrow of the North Carolina Bid Committee to join him for a joint presentation to the Wharton Club of Charlotte (Wharton Business School, University of Pennsylvania, alums) on May 18 on the topic of “Who Benefits from Investing in Sports Events.” Among the examples discussed, was the potential World University Games in North Carolina which created strong enthusiasm and excitement among the Wharton alumni in the Queen City.
New Sponsors: We are pleased to announce the addition of three new North Carolina Bid Sponsors during May: The Cemala Foundation of Greensboro, the Greensboro Convention & Visitors Bureau, and Preston Development Company of Cary. Chartered in 1986 by Martha & Caesar Cone, The Cemala Foundation is focused on enhancing the quality of life in Greensboro. The Greensboro Area Convention & Visitors Bureau, an independent, non-profit governmental authority, aggressively promotes Greensboro as a significant destination for major events. Preston Development is one of North Carolina’s most prominent real estate developers with residential, retail, and multi-use projects in process, including the 7,000-acre Chatham Park.
Chengdu Games Postponed: Due to lingering challenges with the coronavirus in China, in early May the International University Sports Federation (FISU), international governing body for the World University Games, in conjunction with the leadership of the 2022 Summer World University Games in Chengdu, China, announced that the Games, originally scheduled for June 26 to July 7 this year, would be postponed to the summer of 2023.
Committees at Work: North Carolina’s World University Games Bid has a number of committees at work on various aspects of the bid. We are fortunate to have strong and active leadership of these committees. Special thanks to the chair of the bid Arts & Culture Committee, Michael Lowder, and Charles Lattuca, Chair of the bid Transportation Committee. Michael serves as Executive Director of Artsplosure, Raleigh’s premier arts events organization that stages Artsplosure each spring and Raleigh’s First Night Celebration each New Year’s Eve. Michael is a veteran of major Olympic event arts festivals, having directed the Arts Festival of U.S. Olympic Festival-’87, which still holds the record as the largest arts festival ever in the state of North Carolina. Charles serves as the President & CEO of GoTriangle, the agency that provides public transportation across the greater Raleigh-Durham market.
Support the Bid
You can support the bid in a number of ways: corporate sponsorship, individual contribution, volunteering, or purchasing bid merchandise. (Bid apparel could make an attractive gift. Just click here.) We encourage you to visit our award-winning website at www.ncwug2027bid.com and join our team.
Sponsor Thank You’s
We cannot thank our sponsors enough for their strong belief in, and generous support of, North Carolina’s bid for the World University Games. We encourage you to patronize their businesses and give them your own personal thanks when you do.
Sponsors
