- Utah has raised over $200 million for the 2034 Winter Games so far.
- The funds will support youth programs and cover costs until the 2028 Summer Games in Los Angeles are completed.
- Organizing committee member Catherine Raney Norman emphasized the importance of involving children in Olympic sports.
SALT LAKE CITY — For four-time Olympic speedskater Catherine Raney Norman, what's most important about the more than $200 million in donations just announced for Utah's next Winter Games is the impact it'll have on getting kids involved in sports.
"It's absolutely critical and instrumental," said Raney Norman, who was key to the massive fundraising effort as the vice president for development and athlete relations for the Organizing Committee for the 2034 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.
"Even back in the bid phase, our big piece was about how we elevate our communities and our youth. This is kind of a culmination; this is the starting point," she told the Deseret News. "We're on the starting line, and we get to move forward with some of our programs."
As chairwoman of the bid committee during Utah's campaign to host a second Olympics and Paralympics, Raney Norman pitched what was being called "Project 29," a plan to bring Olympic sports opportunities to children in each of the state's 29 counties during the lead-up to 2034.
Just what programs will be offered now that Utah is hosting again remains to be seen, but they are expected to involve partnering with existing organizations already connecting youth to sports in the state.
"We are still early on," she said. "We're still formulating exactly what that's going to look like. But without the support of our donors, without the support of our community champions, it wouldn't be possible."
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Utah lands over $200M in initial wave of 2034 Winter Olympics fundraising
The 2034 Winter Olympics and Paralympics are a little less than nine years away, but event organizers say they've already made significant progress in ensuring that the Games are pulled off in Utah.The long-track speedskater, whose career included competing in Utah's 2002 Winter Games, knows firsthand that early involvement in sports can make a significant difference in a young person's life.
"One hundred percent," Raney Norman said. "Whether they're dreaming (of going) to the Games or they have an opportunity to participate ... we know that sport helps kids long-term, throughout their entire life."
The new president of the International Olympic Committee, Kirsty Coventry, of Zimbabwe, has also addressed the need to ensure young people benefit from Utah's upcoming Games, especially since they were awarded earlier than the usual seven years out.
"With the earlier election more than nine years ahead of your Games, you have a tremendous opportunity. We encourage you to use the full power of the (Olympic) rings to nurture your youth," Coventry said in a video message played Monday at a reception for Utah donors.
She also urged organizers to "develop winter sport even further and radiate beyond your borders across the nation and the world." Utah's bid committee heard a similar message about expanding their reach from the IOC inspection team that visited the state last year.
Fraser Bullock, the organizing committee's president and executive chairman, said early on that much of the donor revenue will be used to cover the cost of what's now fewer than a dozen employees as well as make annual rental payments on Olympic facilities operated by a nonprofit.
The contributions, which are spread out through 2034, are the organizing committee's only source of revenue until after the next Olympics in the U.S., the 2028 Summer Games in Los Angeles, to avoid competing for sponsors.
The $4 billion budget for staging the 2034 Games does not include any state or local tax dollars, although federal assistance is anticipated for security as well as some transportation costs. Earlier this year, the amount expected from donors was nearly doubled, to $300 million.
Bullock said there are "pockets of money" budgeted for youth sports and education programs.
Raney Norman said there are also some early programs set to be launched soon, including a service initiative with the Granite School District's education foundation set to be announced at the 2025 U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Assembly being held in Salt Lake City later this month.
She said educational programs are still in the planning phases, but organizers are "chomping at the bit to get those launched," although that likely won't be until 2027.
