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It just keeps getting better and better!

What a fabulous day in Denmark. Sunny and crisp this morning as many members of the delegation, including yours truly, set out on a motorcoach across town for a Fun Run through the streets of Copenhagen. I’ll bet there were 100 of us including about a dozen Olympic and Paralympic champions on the run. The world’s fastest man, Michael Johnson led the way along side Nastia Liukin, Brandi Chastain, Paralympian April Holmes, and others.

What fun it was to jog just over 2 miles with this bunch passing the Parliament, the IOC Committee hotel, and the hotels of the other delegations. Wearing bright orange shirts, Chicago really made an impact.

Surely the Chicago press corps was out in force to cover the action. Channel 2’s Jay Levine even ran alongside Michael Johnson for a time to huff out a couple of interview questions.

After a quick shower and change of clothes we hopped on another motorcoach and headed to lunch in rural Denmark. The countryside is lovely, largely flat landscape and a beautiful waterfront facing the Swedish border.

I had met Olympic medalist and former WBC Lightweight champion David Diaz before during our participation in the IABC World Boxing Championships in Chicago a couple years ago. David joined us at the table for lunch and talked a great deal about how amatuer boxing helped shape his life and gave him opportunities that he otherwise would not have seen growing up in a tougher area of Chicago. David just had a comeback bout, which he won, at UIC Pavilion Saturday night and is still sporting two blackened eyes and some stiches near his brow. He said he told the Chicago 2016 folks that he would be available to support them on Sunday, bruises and all because he feels so strongly about the impact The Games would bring to shaping young people’s dreams in the area.

People ask me often, “what will it mean to us in the Region or Chicagoland if we get the Games?” The answer is usually jobs, economic impact and infrastructure improvements to things such as transportation. I hadn’t really thought about the emotional impact this would have on kids and their dreams. David Diaz is exactly right… The Games come with a liberal helping of hope for the future and will motivate young people to be better. Tell me you didn’t run around he block when Bruce Jenner won the decathalon in 1976, shoot pucks at the garage door when the hockey team beat the Russians in 1980, or think you could do the uneven paralell bars like Nadia when she scored her perfect 10.

There is a magical part of this proposition that we have not yet examined.

From lunch we explored the castle of Christian IV in Frederiksborg. Denmark is the oldest monarchy in the world and there are some extraordinary artworks in this collection.

Upon returning to the hotel we noticed that it was now surrounded by media, police, dogs, and workers scurrying to put a red carpet in place for tonight’s event. Tonight was the official welcome dinner for the delegation. I would say there are about 300 people here participating.

I found myself sitting across the table from former US Commerce Secretary Bill Daley who regaled us in stories about the Clinton White House years. He said that Bill Clinton has such a good memory that he could read a speech once and walk onto the stage and deliver it almost word-for-word. In the midst of a storied career, Mr. Daley is quite a fascinating man.

The program was presented by Pat Ryan, Mayor Richard M. Daley, Oprah, and Michelle Obama. Each was extraordinary in their remarks. Each focused on the amazing sense of team spirit that has come forth from the community.

The energy coming forth from each of them was palpable and the room was really electric.

After the program we all sort of came together in the room and exchanged pleasantries with all involved. I caught a nice photo of NBA legend David Robinson with some fellow Munster residents, John and Kelli Rowady, and Jack (Jay) and Andrea Lieser who are part of the Chicago delegation as well.

In fact, there are a bunch of new photos posted with captions so check them out!

Could this get any better??? Check in again to see...