Announcement from the City of Riverside:

Riverside resident, 2007 Riverside Poly High School graduate and London 2012 Olympic Gold Medalist Tyler Clary will be honored at a special celebration at the Riverside Aquatics Complex on Saturday, September 8.  The event, which is open to the community, will take place at 10:00 a.m. and conclude at noon.

Swimming in his first Olympics, Tyler won the gold medal in the men’s 200 meter backstroke, setting a new Olympic record in the process.  Japan’s Ryosuke Irie received the silver medal, and America’s Ryan Lochte earned the bronze.  Tyler also competed in the 200-meter butterfly, taking fifth place.

The celebration will include over 1,000 American flags and hundreds of Riverside’s young swimmers, who will have an opportunity to meet with Tyler to talk about what it takes to become a champion.  Participants will include members of Riverside Community College’s “Starting Blocks” program, a partnership initiated by the Riverside Community College Foundation and the local community to introduce the sport of swimming to hundreds of disadvantaged youth.   Tyler helped kick-off the Starting Blocks program, joining the inaugural class of 400 students in the pool at the new Riverside Aquatics Complex in 2011.

The celebration will include a three-plane fly-over, as well as performances by the Riverside Poly High School Band, Chamber Singers and Cheer & Song Squads.

Numerous public dignitaries will be attending the event, including Congressman Ken Calvert, Chairman of the Board of Supervisors John Tavaglione, and Mayor Ron Loveridge.

The event is being sponsored by the City of Riverside, Riverside City College, the County of Riverside, the Riverside Unified School District, Riverside Poly High School, Riverside Public Utilities, Pepsi, McDonalds, Stronghold Engineering, Riverside Aquatics Association, the Riverside AQuettes, Turn ‘N Burn Diving, the Riverside Sport Hall of Fame, and the Greater Riverside Chambers of Commerce.

Filed under News A3, Entertainment

Tuesday, September 4, 2012

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