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INTERNATIONAL LUMINARIES CELEBRATE ATHENS GAMES AT ROOTS EVENT
August 18 , 2004

ATHENS - Prominent figures from the world of international sports, business and politics helped celebrate the Opening Weekend of the 28th Olympic Summer Games at a special evening in Athens hosted by Roots Canada.

Among those in attendance were Pat Riley (President of NBA's Miami Heat); Paul Allen (Microsoft Co-Founder); Gerry Schwartz (CEO of Onex Corp.); Heather Reisman (CEO of Indigo Books); Justin Trudeau (Environmentalist and son of the late Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau); Jari Kurri (Former NHL star and Finnish Member of the International Olympic Committee); and Bud Greenspan (Emmy Award-winning documentary filmmaker specializing in the Olympics).

Leaders of the international Olympic movement also took part in the evening. They included Dick Pound (Chairman of the World Anti-Doping Agency); Chris Rudge (Chief Executive Officer of the Canadian Olympic Committee); Jack Poole (Chairman and CEO of the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Committee), Dan Doctoroff (Deputy New York Mayor and head of 2012 NY Olympic Organizing Committee). Gordon Campbell, Premier of British Columbia told guests of how plans were progressing for the 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver.

Roots Co-Founders Michael Budman and Don Green, who hosted the evening, said the event had an added dimension as it coincided with the 31st anniversary of the establishment of Roots Canada.

"The organization and facilities of the Athens Games have far surpassed many people's expectations," said Michael Budman, who has attended virtually every Olympics for the past 20 years. "There is a remarkable spirit here. You can really feel that at the Olympics, the world stands tall, that it's a place where countries come together like nowhere else. It is a true showcase and celebration of human greatness and that's why Roots is so proud to be associated with it."

Roots is the official outfitter of Canada, the United States, Great Britain and Barbados at the Athens Summer Games.

British Columbia Premier Gordon Campbell, (Host of the 2010 Winter Olympic Games), Paul Allen, Co-Founder of Microsoft, Michael Budman, Co-Founder of ROOTS, Alex Budman




Summer Sanders, Co-host NBA Inside Stuff and 1992 Double Gold Medalist in Swimming and Pat Riley, President of the Miami Heat




Philipe Comtois, Alexandre Despatie, 2004 Canadian Olympic Diving Team, with Matthew Budman in the centre.


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For further information contact:

Robert Sarner
Director of Communication and Public Affairs
ROOTS Canada
Tel: 416 781 3574 ext. 397
Fax: 416 781 3259
rsarner@roots.com

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