USOPC announces Team USA Summer Fest presented by DeVry

U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee announces Team USA Summer Fest presented by DeVry, starting with 100 Day Countdown event April 15 in NYC

The re-imagined five-stop festival will be bigger and more immersive than ever, bringing the Olympic and Paralympic experience to fans across the country leading into the Tokyo 2020 Games

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee today announced details of Team USA Summer Fest presented by DeVry University. The re-imagined five-stop, interactive festival will crisscross the United States to bring the excitement of the Olympic and Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020 to Team USA fans around the country. The tour includes a number of new elements for 2020, including a sport climbing wall, fitness classes, a Team USA Combine, a youth obstacle course, and the Night Market – a Japanese-style marketplace with food and beverage sampling provided by Team USA partners.

The festival will also include athlete meet-and-greets, sport demonstrations, concerts with renowned international musical artists, and Team USA giveaways. The festival footprint will grow 25 percent this year, providing more Olympic and Paralympic opportunities for Team USA fans and enhancing the visitor experience. A dozen Team USA athletes will be on hand at each stop, taking photos, signing autographs, and sharing their Olympic and Paralympic journeys. Three athletes will be present at all five stops: Olympic softball champion Jennie Finch, Paralympic wheelchair basketball champion Trevon Jenifer and Olympic gymnastics champion Nastia Liukin.

The first Team USA Summer Fest stop will be in Times Square on Wednesday, April 15, in conjunction with the 100 Day Countdown to the 2020 Olympic Games. At this stop, more than 75 athletes are expected to attend, representing a wide variety of Olympic and Paralympic sports. The 100 Day Countdown event has become a celebrated milestone in New York’s iconic Times Square prior to each Games, and will kick off with a press conference and interview opportunities exclusively for journalists, prior to the public opening in the afternoon. More details, including media registration, will be sent in the coming weeks.

The five Summer Fest stops include:

DATES

LOCATION / IN CONJUNCTION WITH…

CITY

Apr. 15

100 Days Out

New York, New York

May 9

Discovery Green Park

Houston, Texas

June 26-28

U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Gymnastics

St. Louis, Missouri

July 3-4

Music City Let Freedom SingJuly 4th

Nashville, Tennessee

July 25

Hollywood & Highland

Los Angeles, California

"Summer Fest will bring the 2020 Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games to life across the country for thousands of fans and introduce them to our inspiring Team USA athletes while building excitement on the road to Tokyo," said Luella Chavez D'Angelo, chief marketing and communications officer at the USOPC. "This year’s festival will be bigger and better than ever, thanks to the generous support of DeVry and our Team USA partners. These celebrations are free to attend, family-friendly and packed with fun for all ages, and we encourage everyone to come join us on the road to Tokyo!"

The Team USA Summer Fest will be split into six activation areas:

FITNESS ZONE

The fitness zone will include the Team USA Combine as well as fitness classes in each market. The Team USA Combine will be run by USA Weightlifting, and will invite all visitors – from casual fans to elite athletes – to try their luck during a circuit of six fundamental athletic skills ranging from the vertical jump to pull-ups. Each participant will receive combine cards to take home that record their results, and provide fitness and sport resources. In addition, each stop will feature exclusive fitness classes within the event footprint ranging from bootcamps to strength classes. Registration will be required.

SPORT ACTIVATION ZONE

The sport activation zone will feature a youth obstacle course, a sport climbing wall run by USA Climbing, a virtual kayak experience, and a virtual Para-cycling race. The youth obstacle course will feature three side-by-side stations for kids to race their friends ninja-style, combining skills from track and field, gymnastics and soccer. The sport climbing wall will give fans the opportunity to try out the newest Olympic sport, which debuts at the Tokyo Games. The virtual kayak experience will allow fans to sit in Olympic kayaks while wearing virtual reality headsets that transport them to the middle of a kayak race course. For the Para-cycling race, two people will race stationary side-by-side, watching their progress on a big screen as a Team USA legend cheers them on.

NIGHT MARKET

The Night Market will resemble a traditional Tokyo night marketplace with Japanese lanterns, cherry blossoms and vendor stalls throughout. The new and festive market setting will feature free sampling from Team USA partners Coca-Cola, Hershey, Mondelēz International (NABISCO), and Smucker’s (Sahale Snacks), with touches of Tokyo to get fans excited for the upcoming Olympic and Paralympic host country.

SOCIAL TRUCK

The Team USA Journey presented by OREO is a one-of-a-kind interactive social media experience, making 20 stops across the country in 2019 and 2020, including the Team USA Summer Fest stops. The journey is an immersive experience that engages and connects fans with all things Team USA, while also letting fans meet Team USA athletes, collect prizes and more. Four rooms take fans from an Opening Ceremony experience to the streets of Tokyo, the Team USA hype room and a grand finale.

SPONSOR ACTIVATION ZONE

In addition to DeVry, Summer Fest is supported by associate sponsors Hershey, Samsung and United Airlines. Sponsor activation tents will bring additional Team USA experiences, athlete meet-and-greets and giveaways to fans.

MAIN STAGE

A main stage at each stop will be action-packed throughout the days with athlete interviews, sport demonstrations and live entertainment from award-winning musical artists. Past musicians on the tour have included Rachel Platten, Darius Rucker, Good Charlotte, Sleeping with Sirens and Third Eye Blind. Musical acts for 2020 will be announced in the coming months.

"DeVry University is honored to be an official education provider of Team USA, providing athletes with the education, support and resources they need to achieve their goals outside of athletics," said Bill Caruso, interim president and chief executive officer at DeVry University. "Summer Fest will kick-start the excitement for Tokyo, and we are thrilled to join our fellow Team USA partners to bring the experience of the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games closer to home."

All Team USA Summer Fest stops are free and open to the public. For more information, visit TeamUSA.org/SummerFest.

About the USOPC

Founded in 1894 and headquartered in Colorado Springs, Colorado, the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee serves as both the National Olympic Committee and National Paralympic Committee for the United States. The USOPC is focused on protecting, supporting and empowering America’s athletes, and is responsible for fielding U.S. teams for the Olympic, Paralympic, Youth Olympic, Pan American and Parapan American Games, and serving as the steward of the Olympic and Paralympic movements in the U.S. For more information, visit TeamUSA.org.

About DeVry University

DeVry University’s mission is to foster student learning through high-quality, career-oriented education integrating technology, business, science and the arts. Founded in 1931, the university offers undergraduate and graduate programs onsite and online within its six areas of study: Accounting, Business, Healthcare, Technology, Liberal Arts, and Media Arts & Technology. The university is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission (HLC, https://www.hlcommission.org). To learn more about DeVry University, visit devry.edu.

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