50 Wards In 50(ish) Days

By Marcus Gilmer in News on Jul 7, 2009 7:20PM

Though a party from Chicago 2016 is actually in Africa to promote the City's Olympic bid, using a message from President Obama in the pitch, the City's bid team is beginning to focus locally. With an upswing in anti-Olympic sentiment and even rumblings from within the City Council, Chicago 2016 is taking no chances. Between Wednesday and the October 2nd IOC selection, Chicago 2016 will be holding various community meetings for each wards - often grouped together - to meet with the public. The first meetings have already been set.

• July 8 at 5:30 PM: 11th, 12th and 25th Wards - McKinley Park Field House - 2210 W. Pershing Rd.
• July 13 at 5:30 PM: 39th and 40th Wards - North Park University’s Hamming Hall - 3225 W. Foster Ave.
• July 14 at 6:30 PM: 28th Ward - Garfield Park Field House (Gold Dome) - 100 N. Central Park Ave.
• July 15 at 5:30: 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th Wards - South Shore Cultural Center - 7059 South Shore Dr.

Future meetings will be listed here. Kurt Summers, chief of staff for Chicago 2016 said, "It's the same format we've been doing, we're just now pushing even further as we approach the final date. We expect to reach thousands of Chicagoans between now and Oct. 2." [Tribune]