9 / 64
2015 / 7春季
社区新闻
新闻里的澳门新葡京官网
College alum driving force behind
伯明翰’s bid for 世界 游戏
大卫
Benck 90
是激动
关于
世界
游戏
来
伯明翰
in 2021—
毕竟,
he’s one of the lead organizers of the
city’s successful bid for the games. 但
he’s even 更多的 enthusiastic about
what could happen afterwards, once
伯明翰 proves it can handle a
large-scale international event with
hundreds of thousands of visitors and
shine in the global spotlight.
“Hopefully, it will be a catalyst for
great things,” 说 Benck, who helped
the city beat out competing bids from
Lima, Peru, and Ufa, Russia. “I’m
most excited about getting to show the
world 伯明翰—where it is today
and where it’s going to be in six years.
Our city has so much to offer.”
Benck, vice president and general
counsel for Hibbett Sports, has long
been passionate about sports’ ability
为了团结人民. 他曾在美国服役
Gymnastics’ Ethics, Grievance, and Safe
Sport Committee and was named to
that group’s board of directors in 2013.
He also has extensive 经验 as an
international arbiter in athletics and
其他领域.
但 he didn’t know much about
世界运动会 until he and his
wife joined Scott Myers, the executive
director of the Alabama Sports
Hall of Fame, on a just-for-fun trip
to the 2013 世界 游戏 in Cali,
哥伦比亚. 突然，他们被卖掉了
on the idea of a 伯明翰 bid for
the games, which is operated under
the patronage of the International
Olympic Committee and bills itself as
the world’s second-largest international
多运动事件.
“re was tremendous community
pride and excitement,” Benck 说.
“哥伦比亚的ns were very welcoming
and hospitable; it reminded us of the
southern hospitality in 伯明翰,
but Scott and I recognized that
伯明翰’s venues would far
surpass what most other cities around
世界可以提供.”
When they returned, they reached
out to Edgar Welden, a long-time
伯明翰 community leader, who
brought the city, state, and business
社区在一起. 他们合作
与美国.S. 奥委会
which selected 伯明翰 as the only
city in the country allowed to bid on
事件.
What really made it possible was the
cooperation of 伯明翰-Southern,
UAB, and Samford, Benck 说. 的
three campuses made up the core
of the city’s bid, with each hosting a
potential range of events and acting as
separate athlete villages.
For example, Benck 说, athletes
housed at 澳门新葡京官网 might compete at
the 伯明翰 Metro CrossPlex, at
Legion Field, or at venues on campus.
Teams staying at UAB could compete
在 BJCC or other in-town facilities,
and Samford could host athletes with
events on campus and at over-the-
mountain locations like Oak Mountain
州立公园. 运输系统
will connect all three, and there is
plenty of housing for international
federations and fans nearby.
“We were able to pitch something
completely unique to the 世界
游戏，”他说.
的 committee and city estimates
it will cost about $75 million to
host the games, through cash and
in-kind contributions, such as 澳门新葡京官网’s
contribution of its facilities—but that
the economic impact could be 更多的
超过2.5亿美元. 哥伦比亚的
games drew 500,000 spectators
and about 4,000 athletes from 100
国家.
And although some Americans
have scoffed 在 types of sport on
offer—who’s ever heard of korfball
无论如何?—Benck points out th在
世界 游戏 are host to all of the
sports knocking on the door of the
奥运会. Some modern additions to
the Olympic 游戏, such as triathlon,
trampoline, and taekwondo, were
世界 游戏 sports first, and softball
recently moved from Olympic play to
世界运动会.
Plus, seeing the global enthusiasm
for sports that Americans may not be
familiar with is exhilarating, Benck
说. At 事件 in 哥伦比亚, fans
packed stadiums for competitive
dancing, sumo wrestling, and in-line
hockey and figure skating.
“All of them have their following
and it’s the smaller ones who have
already reached out to us,” he
说. “y’re so excited that this is
发生在美国.S. 他们得到了
show everybody their sport.”
That kind of cross-cultural exchange
is what makes the games so exciting for
Benck. He sees it as a chance not just
to show off 伯明翰 to the world,
but to bring the world to 伯明翰.
Each country’s athletes and delegations
will need hosts, sponsors, drivers, and
更多的. He 说 伯明翰-Southern
students, especially, will find the
opportunity to practice their languages
and make connections that could carry
他们开始了新的事业.
Benck, who studied economics on
the Hilltop and earned his J.D. 在
University of Alabama School of Law,
credits his own travels while a 澳门新葡京官网
student to Australia, New Zealand,
China, and Taiwan as giving him
much-needed exposure to the world.
Bringing 世界运动会 to town will
open up that opportunity to college,
high school, and elementary students
who might otherwise not have that
经验.
“ true inspiration is what
an event like this can produce for
伯明翰’s youth—to participate
in a global event, with hundreds of
国家 来 伯明翰,
and to learn, network, and 经验
global cultures,” he 说. “
opportunities will be numerous.”