RBC awards 16 schools across the country with Vancouver 2010 Olympic Team
Torchbearer Spots

TORONTO , Sept. 10 /CNW/ - RBC and the Canadian Olympic School Program, today announced the 16 winning schools through the RBC 2010 Olympic Torch Relay School Team Torchbearer Spot Contest, where students have the opportunity to carry the Olympic Flame as team torchbearers in the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Torch Relay.

"We are inspired by the pledges made by teachers and students across the country, demonstrating how together we can make a difference, community by community," said Jacqueline Ryan , Director Olympic Marketing RBC. "To be part of the 2010 Olympic Torch Relay is a unique and thrilling opportunity. RBC is proud to offer Canadians a chance to participate in the Olympic celebrations and share in the Olympic Spirit community by community."

As part of the Canadian Olympic School Program, which brings the Olympic Spirit to classrooms across Canada , RBC provided teachers, coaches and school leaders the opportunity to help create a better Canada by working with their students to submit a team pledge chronicling how they will improve their community, be more environmentally-friendly, or live healthier lifestyles. RBC and the Canadian Olympic Committee reviewed the pledges received from across the country and have awarded 16 teams of 20 students and teachers the role of 2010 Olympic Team Torchbearers. Each team will collectively carry the Olympic Flame for one kilometre during the Olympic Torch Relay.

    
    The 16 winning schools announced today are:

    Name of Winning School            City                    Date of
                                                              Participation

    Roncalli Central High School      Avondale, NFLD          Nov. 14, 2009
    Harrison Trimble High School      Moncton, NB             Nov. 23, 2009
    Polyvalente de Thetford Mines     Thetford Mines, QC      Dec. 4, 2009
    Heritage Regional High School     Saint-Hubert, QC        Dec. 10, 2009
    Pavillon secondaire Jeanne-Lajoie Pembroke, ON            Dec. 15, 2009
    Trinity College School            Cobourg, ON             Dec. 16, 2009
    TDSB Vision Program               Toronto, ON             Dec. 17, 2009
    Tomken Road Middle School         Mississauga, ON         Dec. 19, 2009
    St. Vincent Catholic School       Chatham, ON             Dec. 22, 2009
    Stratford Central Secondary
     School                           Stratford, ON           Dec. 27, 2009
    Central Algoma Secondary School   Desbarats, ON           Jan. 2, 2010
    Stobart Community High School     Duck Lake, SK           Jan. 12, 2010
    Our Lady Of The Assumption        Calgary, AB             Jan. 17, 2010
    Okanagan Mission Secondary School Kelowna, BC             Jan. 25, 2010
    John Baptiste Sewepagaham School  Fox Lake, AB            Jan. 31, 2010
    Dr. Charles Best Secondary School Coquitlam, BC           Feb. 11, 2010
    

"We are proud that we can bring the Olympic values into classrooms and help students understand and integrate them into their daily lives and make Canada a better place to live," said David Bedford , Canadian Olympic Committee Executive Director, Marketing and Communications. "Through our partnership with RBC, we are thrilled that some of the teachers and students who participate in the school program will have this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to carry the Olympic Flame."

Over 300 team pledges were submitted through the RBC 2010 Olympic Torch Relay School Team Torchbearer Spot Contest from schools across Canada . Visit www.olympicschool.ca/torchrelay to download the free bilingual 2010 Olympic Torch Relay School Kit which is linked to learning outcomes in social studies, language arts, math, science and physical activity.

The Team Torchbearer program was created for the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Torch Relay to provide individuals or groups with the opportunity to carry the Olympic Flame and be recognized for making a difference in their community through teamwork and cooperation.

Canadians are encouraged to come out and cheer on the torchbearers as they make their way across Canada in the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Torch Relay. Approximately 12,000 Canadians will carry the flame across the country with millions more cheering and supporting them. The 2010 Olympic Torch Relay will begin its journey to Vancouver on October 30, 2009 , when the flame arrives in Victoria following a traditional lighting ceremony in Greece . The Olympic Flame will then travel from coast to coast to coast through every province and territory in Canada - spanning 45,000 kilometers and over 1,000 communities over the course of 106 days. It will end at B.C. Place on February 12, 2010 , with the lighting of the Olympic Cauldron, signaling the start of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games.

About RBC and the Olympic Games

As Canada's longest-standing supporter of the Canadian Olympic Team since 1947, RBC is a Premier National Partner of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games and proud to bring the Olympic Spirit to communities across Canada as Presenting Partner of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Torch Relay.

About the Canadian Olympic Committee

The Canadian Olympic Committee is a national, private, not-for-profit organization committed to sport excellence. It is responsible for all aspects of Canada's involvement in the Olympic Movement, including Canada's participation in the Olympic and Pan American Games and a wide variety of programs that promote the Olympic Movement in Canada through cultural and educational means. For more information, see the COC website at www.olympic.ca or follow the team on Facebook (Canadian Olympic Team) or Twitter (CDNOlympicTeam).

For further information: Jackie Braden, Manager, Sponsorship Communications, [phone]; Isabelle Hodge, Canadian Olympic Committee, [phone]