$2 Million in Olympic Surplus Goes to Recreation Programs

Los Angeles Olympic leaders announced their first grant from the 1984 Olympics surplus Tuesday, $2 million to vastly expand hours and staffing at 328 summer recreation sites in 17 Southern California cities where Olympic events were held last year.

In Los Angeles, the money will allow 180 city recreation centers, parks and school playgrounds to remain open 75 hours a week, instead of the 20 to 26 hours that had been previously envisioned under available public funding.

Similar step-ups in recreation programs will be offered at sites in Anaheim, Arcadia, Burbank, Cerritos, Chino, Fullerton, Glendale, Inglewood, Irvine, Long Beach, Mission Viejo, Monterey Park, Ojai, Pasadena, Pico Rivera and Santa Monica.

Los Angeles Mayor Tom Bradley and Los Angeles Olympic board chairman Paul Ziffren joined other officials at a Westwood press conference to announce the program, which will also include gifts of equipment and sponsorship of a series of athletic competitions to be known as the Summer Games ’85.

They said about 1 million youths are expected to participate in the expanded programs.

Bradley and Ziffren credited television producer David L. Wolper, who produced last summer’s Olympic opening and closing ceremonies, with coming up with the idea for the initial grant from the LAOOC’s new Amateur Athletics Foundation.

Ziffren cautioned, however, that it is a grant for this summer only and will not necessarily become a permanent feature of the foundation’s programs.

“We want to help things get started, not undertake permanent obligations,” he said.

Ed Smith, staff director of the Los Angeles Olympic Organizing Committee, said 300 requests for funding of programs have already been received.

When the Los Angeles Olympic surplus is fully distributed, the foundation is expected to have funds approaching $100 million. So far, the foundation has indicated that it will use only interest income to make its annual grants.

Ziffren said the initial $2-million grant is coming from the $4 million in interest that will have accrued by this summer.

Under terms of the contract that brought the Olympics to Los Angeles, 40% of the surplus from the Games will go to Southern California youth sports, with the other 60% designated for the U.S. Olympic Committee and national sports federations. The surplus is now estimated to be at least $225 million and may go as high as $250 million.

The foundation’s three-person staff will help coordinate this summer’s program, but Ziffren said its actual administration will be in the hands of the city and school agencies involved.

Hire Students

In addition to allowing an increase in the operating hours of the recreation centers and playgrounds, Daniel Cruz, Olympic youth activities director, said the Olympic money will allow the hiring of between 500 and 600 high school students to assist in staffing the programs.

Altogether, staffing at each of the centers affected is expected to be increased from the previously planned one person to four, including a supervisor, an assistant supervisor and two student helpers.

The special athletic competitions will be in co-ed volleyball; three-on-three basketball for boys and girls; track and field for boys and girls; special sports skills, such as throwing baseballs and footballs for distance, and a fifth sport yet to be selected.

Spirit of Games

Cruz said regional championships will be held in the sports in August and at the end of the 10-week program, there will be a Southern California championship event. The program’s aim, which will involve youths from 10 to 18, is to “continue the spirit of the Olympic Games,” Cruz said.

The program will also include activities for the physically and developmentally disabled.