Springfield has been selected as a partner city for the 2028 Olympic Games.
And Springfield City Council is considering a special ordinance that would allow the city to enter into a Torch Relay Agreement with the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic and Paralympic Committee.
Visit Springfield President and CEO Mark Hequet told council Monday night it’s a great opportunity for the city to get additional widespread exposure.
"As we continue to evolve as a sports destination, aligning with the Olympic spirit is really important to us to show that we are tied into the Olympic spirit," he said. "So, obviously, linking into LA28 will create a national and international audience, so anything that we can do to be part of that is obviously very powerful."
The Olympic torch will make its way through all 50 states before arriving at the opening ceremony of the games.
Deputy Springfield City Manager Colin Quigley said the partnership would require the city to provide planning, advisory and operational support services to the committee. The city would have to establish a community task force and would be required to provide emergency, medical, waste management and traffic management services.
Council is expected to vote on the ordinance at its next meeting.
