04/22/1997 04:37 PM House ITT

SJR 19 - SPECIAL OLYMPICS WORLD WINTER GAMES                                   
                                                                               
Number 0040                                                                    
                                                                               
CHAIRMAN COWDERY announced the first item on the agenda was SJR 19,            
Relating to naming Anchorage as the location of the 2001 Special               
Olympics World Winter Games.                                                   
                                                                               
Number 0068                                                                    
                                                                               
JOE AMBROSE, Legislative Assistant for Senator Taylor, said SJR 19             
offers the support of the Alaska State Legislature to the effort to            
bring the Special Olympics World Winter Games to Anchorage in 2001.            
He said last week the organizing committee in Anchorage was visited            
by a site selection committee.  The Anchorage committee will be                
making their formal bid next month.  According to this committee,              
it would beneficial to have this resolution in hand when they make             
their formal bid, on May 16, 1997.  Senator Taylor has said that he            
wanted a continued emphasis on the event.  The event provides these            
worldwide Special Olympians the chance to experience the joy of                
competition, demonstrate courage and share in gifts, skills and                
friendship which personify Special Olympics.                                   
                                                                               
Number 0216                                                                    
                                                                               
REPRESENTATIVE ELDON MULDER stated that he is on the Board of                  
Directors of the Special Olympics.                                             
                                                                               
Number 0227                                                                    
                                                                               
JIM BALAMACI, Executive Director, Special Olympics Alaska,                     
testified next via teleconference from Anchorage.  He said this                
event would bring 2,000 athletes from 85 countries to Anchorage.               
This event would bring tremendous goodwill to all of Alaska and                
have a beneficial economic impact.                                             
                                                                               
Number 0295                                                                    
                                                                               
REPRESENTATIVE PETE KOTT asked who the main competitors were for               
this bid.                                                                      
                                                                               
MR. BALAMACI said that the bid selection committee visited                     
Anchorage last week.  Right now the determination will be based on             
a financial package to be presented by May 16, 1997.  Lake Placid              
is in the running, but they are currently on hold.  Basically the              
event is Anchorage's.                                                          
                                                                               
Number 0353                                                                    
                                                                               
REPRESENTATIVE PHILLIPS referred to the funding for the games and              
the attachment located in the committee file.  She clarified that              
they were going to try raising between $5 million and $7 million in            
cash and in-kind donations.  She asked if there was a separate fund            
raising committee, apart from the general organization committee.              
                                                                               
Number 0380                                                                    
                                                                               
MR. BALAMACI said yes.  He thought the budget was at $8 million, of            
which $3 million has been identified as in-kind donations through              
the city and the military.  There is a completely new 501C3, called            
the games organizing committee.  He listed the executive board and             
Senator Stevens as the honorary chair.  The board of directors will            
be responsible to raise the needed funds.  They will also hire an              
executive director and a fundraising person to attain the funding.             
Presently there are organizations who have come on line.  A                    
guarantee has been made that if there is a monetary short fall,                
money would be available to pay off the event.                                 
                                                                               
Number 0454                                                                    
                                                                               
REPRESENTATIVE PHILLIPS referred to his letter, located in the                 
committee file, requesting $85,000 from the legislature through a              
reappropriation fund and asked where he was with this request.                 
                                                                               
Number 0465                                                                    
                                                                               
MR. BALAMACI explained that this request is for the state Special              
Olympic program which is separate from the games organization.                 
                                                                               
Number 0493                                                                    
                                                                               
REPRESENTATIVE PHILLIPS asked about the legislative appropriation              
for the program.                                                               
                                                                               
Number 0497                                                                    
                                                                               
MR. BALAMACI hadn't heard an answer to his request.  There is                  
support, but it is difficult finding those funds.                              
                                                                               
Number 0525                                                                    
                                                                               
REPRESENTATIVE PHILLIPS made a motion to move SJR 19 from the House            
Special Committee on International Trade and Tourism with                      
individual recommendations and accompanying fiscal note.  Hearing              
no objection, it was so moved.