Olympic Hall of Fame fundraiser honors former Olympic stars

The U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame “Class of 2009” was formally introduced at an induction ceremony held at Chicago’s McCormick Place. The event served as a Hall of Fame ceremony and the final fundraiser for the 2016 Chicago Olympic bid before the October announcement. More than 3,600 people attended the event to raise money as well as honor the athletes.

Working for Intersport, CSSI provided the round stage where the Class of 2009, including five Olympians, one Paralympian, one team, coach, veteran, and a special contributor were honored. Designed by Bruce Rodgers of Tribe Design, the main stage included two custom podiums, front curved back-lit steps, curved side steps and upstage ramp entrance, drapes and control decks all supplied by Chicago Scenic.

The focal point of the stage was a graphic logo of the event’s sponsor, Allstate Insurance Company, that was hung on a reveal wall that included a door through which honorees could enter or exit the stage. Chicago Scenic also provided extensive backstage ADA ramping.

CSSI’s Project Coordinator Alyce Iversen worked with several partners to ensure the evening’s success, including Executive Produer Larry Holm, Staging Producer Floyd Dillman, Lighting Designer Bob Peterson and Reed Rigging.

Chicago’s Picasso dressed up, but left with nowhere to go

Chicago Scenic staff once again dressed Chicago’s famous Picasso sculpture, this time with Olympic gear in support of Chicago’s bid to host the 2016 Olympics.

The 50-foot tall Picasso was outfitted with a 20-foot long Olympic lanyard and medallion and a traditional laurel wreath resting atop its head. A crowd of hundreds gathered in Daley Plaza to await the announcement of the 2016 host city. Disappointment was evident in the faces of crowd members when Chicago was eliminated from the list of finalists.