May 21, 2007 - The Preliminaries
The Bari family of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania looks forward to hopefully attending the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. My wife and I first fell in love with the Olympic Movement when we attended the 2002 Salt Lake Olympics. Following that memorable trip where we met fascinating people from all over the world, we were hooked on this global event that brings people together through athletic competition. We attended the Athens 2004 Olympics and met even more fans like ourselves from around the world. For the Torino 2006 Games, our one year old daughter got to experience the Games with us including the Opening Ceremonies (although she slept through much of it). We have always wanted to visit China, and the Beijing Olympics provide the perfect opportunity to experience China’s unique history, architecture and culture. To enhance the One World One Dream mission, we also want to help champion the Beijing 2008 Olympics in the USA. Let the Games begin!
THE FINALSWeek 1
June 7, 2007
Family Story Theme - "Family & Dreams"
Greetings from the USA! The Bari Family, competing under the name “USA 1776”, is honored to have qualified for the final stage of the “Olympic Families Tour Beijing” campaign, sponsored by China Mobile.
In the spirit of Olympic competition, it is our sincere hope that we can move up from 16th place in the competition as of June 6, 2007, and achieve victory by finishing as one of the top five families by June 30, 2007.
Win or lose, this competition transcends certain family values that we believe in with respect to always trying your best. The Bari Family is instilling this value in our daughter.
Additionally, the Bari Family believes that you have to live life to the fullest, and in that regard, we work and dream for health, happiness, peace and prosperity, for our family and for all families.
In the immortal words of Benjamin Franklin, one of America’s Founding Fathers, we believe that “The noblest question in the world is: What good can I do in it?”
To that end, we run a family business as both business and social entrepreneurs who believe in giving something back to society. A few years ago, we dreamed of starting a new business together, and in turn we created The Constitutional Walking Tour of Philadelphia which provides tours of America’s Birthplace, Philadelphia. The Constitutional includes many historic sites such as Independence Hall which is a “World Heritage Site” (just like other global icons including the Great Wall of China).
The Constitutional has hosted visitors from every state in the USA and more than fifty foreign countries including many people from China. Today, we dream of making The Constitutional more successful, attaining greater goals in attendance and moreover leaving a legacy for our daughter and future generations to experience. We know how proud we are to showcase Philadelphia to the world, and we can only imagine how proud the Chinese are to showcase China to the world with the Games of the XXIX Olympiad. Let the Games begin!
P.S. It is also one of our dreams for Philadelphia to one day host the Summer Olympics.
WEEK 2
June 11, 2007
Family Story Theme: "Passion & Sport"
Confucius said, “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” Team USA 1776 began its hopeful journey of a thousand miles with a single step on May 21, 2007 when we entered the Olympic Families Tour Beijing promotional contest. Even though the contest was launched on April 9, 2007, and many of the other families had established large leads in the voting for Phase 1 by May 21, we decided to enter and place our best foot forward by leveraging our passionate and competitive characteristics.
Our Olympic obsessions and Olympic dreams have most recently been focused on attending the Games in Salt Lake, Athens and Torino, and the almost Herculean efforts needed to secure good accommodations and tickets. As our daughter grows older, we hope that she will share our passion for the Olympics as a spectator and as an athlete. In terms of Olympic sports, we are passionate about both winter and summer sports including: ice skating, short track, tennis, gymnastics, swimming, water polo and beach volleyball. Personally, tennis is my sport of choice. My wife loves the sport of shopping (watch out Hong Kong), and my daughter loves gymnastics. In terms of cheering on professional sports at home, I love the Philadelphia Eagles (American football).
Growing up in the age before ESPN, I loved to watch ABC TV's “Wide World of Sports” every Saturday. I think that the opening credits really captured the essence of sports and passion when it said, “Spanning the globe to bring you the constant variety of sport the thrill of victory, and the agony of defeat the human drama of athletic competition.” Certainly, this transcends Olympic competition and my passion for the Olympic Movement.
Before closing this blog on sports and passion, we just want to give special thanks to those who have made this unique promotion possible including the BOCOG Media and Communications Department, the Official website of BEIJING 2008 Olympic Games, China Mobile as well as Co-sponsors Coca-Cola (China) and SOHU.com Inc. as well as the Supporting Medium, CCTV International (CCTV-4). Let the Games begin! Thank you.
WEEK 3
June 18, 2007
Family Story Theme: "Devotion & Joy"
There’s an ancient Chinese proverb which says, “Be not afraid of growing slowly; be only afraid of standing still.”
With an active two year old daughter, we certainly never have to worry about standing still these days.
Over this past weekend of June 16-17, 2007, we celebrated the “Father’s Day” holiday with our family, and that brought great joy to four generations of family members, especially for everyone to see how Lexi is growing up into such a wonderful little girl.
To that end, we are very doting parents who are devoted to our daughter so that she can have an even more enriching life than we did. Going hand in hand with these privileges and joys is our belief and devotion to doing our share to help make the world a better place. In a previous week’s submission we mentioned our family business, The Constitutional Walking Tour of Philadelphia. Several years ago, while my wife and I were both working at other full-time jobs, we volunteered our time and started The Constitutional as a way to give back to the community because we felt there was a need for a free, self-guided walking tour of Historic Philadelphia.
In this week’s photos, we have included some images which show the joy which we get from watching Lexi in her never ending quest to experience and learn. While her favorite sports are gymnastics and swimming, which we hope to watch at the Beijing 2008 Olympics, Lexi also likes learning new activities and sports such as hockey (which she tried during the Torino 2006 Games at the Coca-Cola sponsor tent).
As of June 18, 2007 (with just 436 days to go to the Games of the XXIX Olympiad), our attention is focused on the future with respect to the Beijing Olympics. Currently, we are in 10th place in the Olympic Families Tour Beijing promotional campaign, and we are competing to be one of the top 5 families when the contest concludes on June 30, 2008. We want to sincerely thank everyone for their continued support! Please keep voting for “USA 1776” and send us to china to root for Team USA!
Let the Games begin! Thank you.
WEEK 4
June 25, 2007
Family Story Theme: "Olympic & Action"
Towards the conclusion of the Torino 2006 Olympics, “The Philadelphia Inquirer” (my hometown newspaper) reported that Juan Antonio Samaranch, the former International Olympic Committee chief who has been to every Games since Tokyo in 1964, said that Beijing “will be the most successful Olympic Games in history.”
From what we have seen and read, the Beijing 2008 Olympics will be a terrific spectacle, and one that we hope to experience in person!
I recall watching a fascinating TV program recently about all of the amazing architectural projects that are underway in Beijing for the Olympics. My favorite venue is certainly the National Stadium or the Bird’s Nest as many have affectionately referred to it.
While my personal aspirations from childhood of being an Olympic athlete have come and gone, my Olympic dreams are as follows: to be one of the top five international winners the Olympic Families Tour Beijing campaign, to experience various Games in person around the globe and root for Team USA, to expose my daughter to the Olympic Movement and its ideals, to help my daughter develop her athletic abilities to the best of her potential, to be a Torchbearer for one of the Games, and to help champion the Olympic Movement in Philadelphia such that one day Philadelphia can host the Olympics, etc.
As parents of a darling two year old girl, we are constantly in action to raise and care for her. It is the greatest labor of love to raise a child, and we love watching Lexi smile with pride when she accomplishes something on her own or when she discovers something that she likes.
Lexi loves animals, and when she was younger, we took her to see Tai Shan, the baby panda at the National Zoo in Washington, DC. Lexi’s appreciation for pandas continues since she always smiles when she sees Jingjing, her favorite mascot from the Beijing 2008 Olympics, on the PC screen.
We are now in the home stretch of the Olympic Families Tour Beijing promotional campaign, and we are going to compete hard to the very end in the hopes that we can share that “One World One Dream” magic moment that will mark the one year countdown to the Beijing 2008 Olympics.
Let the Games begin! Thank you and Godspeed.
HOW YOU CAN HELP!
Vote for Us & Send Us to China to Mark the One Year Countdown to the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games!
Plus, you'll be eligible to win some cool prizes if you vote and then register with the official contest site.
1) Go to http://family.beijing2008.cn/en/list_1.html
2) Find "USA 1776" and click the check box.
3) Enter the Verification Code at the bottom of the page and click Vote.
4) [OPTIONAL] Click on "Join the Lucky Draw" to register for your chance to win some prizes from Beijing 2008 Olympics.*
5) Vote again and again please (follow the rules)!
Hint: Then hit back button on your broswer, and a new Verification Code will appear so that you can Vote again.
Background
In Phase I of the promotion, there were more than 12,679 families from 62 countries which registered from around the world. The Bari family of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA quickly gained the support of many voters and finished in a respectable 38th place (The top 50 have now moved onto Phase II).
Phase II runs until June 30, 2007, and The Bari Family needs your votes to finish in the Top 5 out of 50!
The Olympic Families Tour Beijing promotional campaign was developed by the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Games ("BOCOG") of the XXIX Olympiad, August 8 - August 24, 2008.
FAMILY ID
"USA 1776" in honor of America's Birthday on July 4, 1776 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
FAMILY SLOGAN
"We The People" in honor of the Beijing 2008 Olympics being the "People's Olympics"
FAMILY DESCRIPTION
The Bari family of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania looks forward to hopefully attending the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. My wife and I first fell in love with the Olympic Movement at the 2002 Salt Lake Olympics. Following that memorable trip where we met fascinating people from all over the world, we were hooked on this global event that brings people together through athletic competition. We attended the Athens 2004 Olympics and met even more fans like ourselves from around the world. For the Torino 2006 Games, our one year old daughter got to experience the Games with us including the Opening Ceremonies (although she slept through much of it). We have always wanted to visit China, and the Beijing Olympics provide the perfect opportunity to experience China's unique history, architecture and culture. To enhance the One World One Dream mission, we also want to help champion the Beijing 2008 Olympics in the USA. Let the Games begin!
SPECIAL THANKS TO THE SUPPORTERS OF THE OLYMPIC FAMILIES TOUR BEIJING PROMOTION:
Sponsor:
BOCOG Media and Communications Department
Official website of BEIJING 2008 Olympic Games
China Mobile
Co-sponsors:
Coca-Cola (China)
SOHU.com Inc
Supporting Medium:
CCTV International (CCTV-4)
Notes:
There is no purchase necessary to enter.
* You do not have to vote for USA 1776 in order to enter the contest for your chance to win prizes from Beijing 2008. You just have to vote for one of the 50 families.
This contest is being conducted by The Beijing Organizing Committee for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad and is subject to all of its rules and conditions as stated on http://family.beijing2008.cn/en/ and http://www.beijing2008.com/ .
Team USA 1776 is one of the 50 qualifying family finalists on this contest.
As one of the five international winning families in the Olympic Families Tour Beijing contest, we traveled to China to help celebrate the one year countdown to the Beijing 2008 Olympics in August 2007. The contest was sponsored by The Beijing Organizing Committee for the Games of the XXIX Olympics (BOCOG), and we won because our family blog about our love for the Olympics was one of the top five international vote recipients in this worldwide contest.
In addition to our terrific tours of Beijing, Hong Kong, Qingdao and Shanghai, we had the distinct honor to meet nine other wonderful families from around the world representing various countries including Argentina, China, Germany, South Africa and the United States. Our tour showcased various cities in China which will play host to different Olympic events, since unlike previous Olympics where all of the sporting events are held in or around just one city, the Beijing Olympics will host competitions in several Chinese cities.
In addition to the five cute mascots for the Beijing 2008 Olympics that my daughter fell in love with because they are seemingly everywhere in China, the new National Stadium in Beijing, or the Bird’s Nest as it is nicknamed, will also symbolize the Beijing 2008 Olympics with its unique modern interlocking steel structure. The Bird’s Nest will host the Opening and Closing Ceremonies, soccer as well as track and field, and located right next to the Bird’s Nest is the cool new blue-colored National Aquatics Center that is nicknamed the “Water Cube” where the swimming competitions will be held.
Another must-see sight is the Forbidden City which dates back to the early 1400s and served as the largest palace; today the Forbidden City is the most well preserved imperial residence in China. In addition, while it was very hot, we enjoyed touring the Summer Palace which is a classic imperial garden and served as the palace where the Qing Dynasty where they managed government affairs and vacationed.
No visit to Beijing would be complete without visiting the Great Wall of China which is truly one of the wonders of the world. We traveled to the less visited Mutianyu Section of the Great Wall just outside of Beijing, and took a ski-like chairlift on an 1,800 foot journey to the top where the vast view of the Great Wall is unparalleled. After hiking up and down various sections of the Great Wall, we took a fun alpine slide toboggan back to the base.
Following Beijing, we visited the beautiful port city of Qingdao which is located midway between Beijing to the North and Shanghai to the South. Our group was welcomed by Ms. Zang Aimin who is the Vice Mayor of Qingdao and she proudly showcased the new Qingdao International Sailing Center which will host various sailing events for the Beijing 2008 Olympics.
