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The kindness of strangers and the ripoff of the 2010 Olympics
I'm doing a practicum placement right now for school and I'm working in an alternative school for First Nations students who are no longer part of the mainstream school system. Most of the students are very poor (no electricity kind of poor). One of the students was selected to run with the Olympic torch and her turn was today. We went out to support her.
When we got there, the organizers immediately went on a schpiel about how each runner is assigned their own torch, and that the runners can buy their torch after the run. The girl's eyes immediately lit up, and she was making eyes at the staff, hoping they'd buy it for her. They were seriously considering it- until he announced they are $400. When the student said she couldn't afford it, the guy immediately went on a big guilt trip about how she'll never regret spending the money, and she could show it to her grandchildren, and so on and so forth. Like a 15 year old from an impoverished community has $400 in her pocket to hand over for a torch.
There were about 10 people who were running with a torch, and all the rest of them were adults, and all seemed to be pretty well off. Every single one bought their torch. At the end of the relay the student was wrapping up her torch, looking very sad, and two women came forward and announced they wanted to buy her torch for her! The student was so excited she was near tears. It was one of the sweetest things I've seen in a while. She hugged the women probably 50 times. I think it really meant a lot to her.
But what a frigging ripoff. $400 for the right to own your torch? That would probably go in a landfill if not bought? I was so mad at the organizers, not only for the blatant ripoff, but for pressuring her to buy something she obviously couldn't afford.
There are 12,000 runners. If just half buy their torch (every single one of the runners today left with their torch, so I bet more than half will buy it, but let's just say 50%) that's $2.4 million. Just in torch money. Ridiculous. Way to encourage people to have the honour of running with the torch and then make them pay for the privilege.
Re: The kindness of strangers and the ripoff of the 2010 Olympics
I don't think it is a rip off at all. They could have sold them for double (or more) on ebay. I doubt they were cheap to make.
I am glad that someone bought the torch for her so that she will always have it.
I think they could have at least let everyone know upfront (before hand) that they were available for purchase at the price of $400.
I completely agree.
I'm really surprised you guys feel that way. They did not appear well-made at all- at the end of her 300 metre run, it was melted and blackened and split open from the heat. It was not an expensive product to make, I'm sure. Second, if she didn't buy it, it would have been thrown out.
Apparently the rules state that they can only be bought by the person who held it, and no one else. The two women had to give the money to the student because they couldn't buy it on her behalf. I'm not sure why the rules are this way, but I'm pretty sure that would mean they can't be sold on eBay. I'm fairly confident they would have just been thrown out, and how is that getting their money's worth, even if they were expensive? The whole thing just seems like a scam to me.
BTW the type of cartridge used to light the torch is specific to the torch. After the games are over the remaining cartridges will be destroyed so the torches can't be lit again. I am happy that some people got together to buy her torch. that was really sweet of them.
When the torch was here in ON I heard that the torch bearers had the option to purchase their torches and in my head I guessed that it would be super expensive. When the reporter said that they cost $350, I was surprised that the cost was so low.
I haven't seen one in person, so I can't comment on the cost to produce a torch, but IMO you aren't buying the torch for the quality with which it was made, you are buying what it represents and the memories of being apart of something so special.
You know, I think what bugs me the most is the guilt trip. When she said she couldn't buy it the guy acted like she was crazy- he went on and on about how each torch bearer got their own torch because it was expected that they would want to buy it and if she didn't she would regret it forever and it would be wasted if she didn't buy it because the rules stated that only she could buy it and on and on... it was a long speech and she was just heartbroken and I thought it was so tasteless. Even if she would regret not buying it, it just wasn't possible for her to fork over $400. I felt that if it really was going to be wasted if she didn't buy it (which were his exact words), then why not just give it to her? Even letting her know in advance wouldn't have done any good (other than by avoiding the surprise factor) because she just wouldn't have had the money.
I do like the suggestion of giving it to those under 18, though. After I made my original post I went downstairs and read this morning's local paper and there was an article in there about how a school was trying to get money together to buy one of their students his torch as well.
A friend of mine ran with the torch and he was informed of this ahead of time. I think they all have individual serial numbers on them as well. Or something to make each one original.
Re: Jen's comment - someone from my city sold their torch on ebay for $1200!
I agree that the guilt trip was not necessary. Some people don't think before speaking though. (e.g. the teacher that goes on and on about having students bring in pledge money for the read-a-thon, meanwhile some kids in the class are worrying about where mom and dad are going to find $ to pay the rent)
I'm surprised she didn't know about it before hand (maybe she didn't get all of the information).
I too am surprised she didn't know in advance because it seems the other ladies did if they had that kind of cash on hand.
Perhaps the Olympic guy didn't know her situtation and therefore didn't know that stressing the issue of purchasing the torch would be a sore subject?
This. ^^
I'm right in the middle of Vancouver right now and I've been dreading these flippin' games since the moment they announced them. I cannot WAIT till they're over. But even then it won't be great, since I'll still be paying for the stupid things until I die. The amount of money they've spent has been astronomical and growing and growing and growing. Not surprised they're squeezing $400 out of an impoverished girl so they can go spend it frivolously somewhere else.
My husband's ultra $$$$ custom furniture making company has done some of the wood work for the Olympic village. (Rings, faux mountains, scoreboard.) My husband's company charged some poor sod $40,000 for a chair that was nothing special. I can't imagine how much they charged for this Olympic crap. Sure, DH got his wage to make it -- but we'll be paying for it via taxes forever.
This is just an over-hyped party for the super rich. I know dozens and dozens of normal people who tried to get tickets only 2 succeeded. Then you hear of big business guys with their wallets full of them. So it's an expensive party that we're not even allowed to go to BUT we'll have to pay for it indefinitely.
Feh. I curse you Olympics! Curse you!
Anyone east of Manitoba want to do a house swap for the games? I'd love to get out of here - but it needs to be far far away. AB, SK, MB are too close.
::::Zips on flame-resistant suit and gets ready to be called a "Party Pooper":::::
I think it is different when you live right where it is happening. I think it is an exciting time to have the Olympics back here but I don't doubt that it is like this for every city that hosts them. We have friends in the UK who are expressing the same thing about the upcoming London games.
Money and whatnot aside, I am just proud that Canada was chosen to host it again.
lol moroccojade...I *was* going to volunteer my house...but it's too close
We have friends that live in Van and they plan to take their vacation time while the games are going on. They'll be comeing to Sask and then head to Arizona for a few weeks. While they're gone, they're renting out their downtown condo to Olympics goers! Even the average joe is in it to make a buck!
While I agree that it's awesome that Canada was selected, I recall the Calgary games being a much different tone and something even those living in Calgary at the time were looking forward to. Attitudes change I guess. I just shudder to think of the cost of maintaining and/or converting the use of the facilities constructed for the purpose of these games...and have visions similar to those from Greece where all of the venues are in disrepair and aren't being used. I, for one, am glad I am not a BC taxpayer!
A friend of mine said the Calgary games were great. If you wanted tix you could get them at a reasonable price. Everyone was happy.
Now she lives here and said it just feels so much different. She's another Olympics Grinch.
I wish we could leave town, but I have to be at work. My colleague is away for 3 months and it's just me and 500 people.
I think that having the games in Canada is great. I think I would probably have a different opinion if I was living right in the city they were happening but I am excited to see Canadian athletes on Canadian soil.
I don't think the guilt trip was necessary but I would have bought my torch if I had gotten the chance to run with it. I highly doubt they would go to some land fill. My guess is they would be auctioned/sold to collectors of Olympic memorabilia. If you think about the amount of money it takes to pull something like this off it must be astronomical. Even if everyone bought their torch, the 5 millon bucks they'd make from it is really a drop in the bucket.
It was very nice though that those women would do something like that for a stranger. That girl will not only have the memory of her run but the memory of 2 very generous people to go with it.
I agree with every single word MorrocoJade has said. We also live in the Lower Mainland and I am SICK TO DEATH of hearing about this effing games. We will be paying for these games until we are dead and then our kids get to pay for them.
We can't go out of town because UPS has banned all drivers from taking vacation, eventhough my dh had vacation planned for the second week of the Olympics so now I'm even MORE p*ssed off.
$400 is just par for the course, although it's odd this girl was not notified ahead of time. I'm glad people were able to come to her rescue and purchase the torch for her. But I'm with other posters who said it's not what the torch is made of, it's what it represents which keeps the cost high.
Having said all that, roll on Feb 28th!!!! Let's get these games over and down with!!