Four outstanding citizens from Carroll and Weakley counties will suit up in their official Olympic white and blue uniforms on December 14 and 15, to proudly carry the flame for the 2002 Winter Olympic games when it passes through West Tennessee this week. Selected torchbearers were selected from more than 210,000 nominees.

Frank Lacey of McKenzie, a physical therapist for University Home Health in Martin and Leigh Hart, a Physical Education Instructor at Dresden Middle School, recently received instructions, stating each will be carrying the torch in Jackson on the morning of Saturday, December 15, the twelfth day of its 65-day, 13,500-mile journey from Atlanta to Salt Lake City. Frank will begin his run at 8.55 a.m. on Old Hickory Blvd, beginning in front of Dunkin' Donuts and continuing to the entrance of Bedford Crossing Apartment. Leigh will begin her run at 10:15 a.m. on Airways Blvd from Lambuth Blvd to Riverside Drive. Two other area torchbearers, Russell Lovett, who is semi-retired, but still works part-time at Gleason Hardware and Gleason Exxon, and Cherie Sawyers, who is a homemaker and provides childcare in her home, will carry the torch in Memphis during the afternoon of Friday, December 14. Mrs. Sawyers will begin her run at 2:09 p.m. on Danny Thomas Blvd from Beale Street to Union Avenue and Mr. Lovett will begin his run at 5:31 p.m. on Poplar Avenue from N. Waldron and end on Pauline Street. Both Mr. Lovett and Mrs. Sawyers reside in Gleason.

Each Torchbearer has been provided an impressive Olympic jogging suit, featuring white pants and a long-sleeved T-shirt in varying shades of blue, a windbreaker jacket, toboggan, and gloves, all bearing the three-ring Olympic symbol.

The men and women nominated and selected as official Olympic Torchbearers have made a difference by inspiring others, serving their community in an exemplary manner, overcoming adversity and embodying the Olympic Spirit in their every day lives.

The four will have the responsibility to carry the three-pound torch about a quarter-mile or about two city blocks each.

The Olympic Flame was lit during a ceremony in Olympia, Greece before traveling to Atlanta - where the flame last rested on American soil. The Salt Lake 2002 Olympic Torch relay, presented by Coca Cola and Chevrolet, began its journey on December 4 in Atlanta. It will continue on the journey through 46 states, making stops in 125 major cities and hundreds of small towns along the way. Along the journey, a total of 11,500 Torchbearers will carry the Olympic flame. After traveling through the heart of America, the Olympic Flame will reach its final destination at Olympic Stadium in Salt Lake City, where the caldron will be lit on February 8.

McKenzian Frank Lacey was nominated by his sixteen-year-old daughter, Ryan. In writing the required 50-100-word essay, she told how her father had spent his life battling pain that resulted from breaking his neck in a high school physical education class at the age of 15.

"His neck may have been broken, his spirit was left untouched," she wrote.

Frank is married to Donna Lacey and they also have two sons, Rory, 18 and Randy, 14.

Russell Lovett and his daughter, Paula Lovett of Nashville will carry the torch as a pair. Paula nominated her father for the honor, stating he was an average American, who worked all his life, served his country in the U.S. Army in World War II and reared two daughters, sending both to college. Paula also explained that her father was hampered in his effort to finish high school because of the war, and only recently was presented his high school diploma in a special ceremony in Carroll County.

Mr. Lovett is married to Polly Lovett. They also have another daughter, Pat Sawyers, who teaches science at McKenzie High School.

Paula is employed by the Tennessee Department of Economics and Community Development as a grants program manager.

Cherie Sawyers of Gleason was nominated by her 27-year-old son, Cory. In nominating his mother, Cory wrote how she had overcome adversity after losing her leg in a car accident at the age of 14. She now walks with the aid of prosthesis as she goes about her busy life. She is a homemaker, keeps a great niece for the child's working parents, and is looking forward to the birth of Cory's first child and her first grandchild.

Mrs. Sawyers and her husband Michael, also have a 25-year-old son, Bradley.

She stated that she was both surprised and excited to be nominated for the honor.

Leigh Hart of Dresden, who is employed as Health and Physical Education Instructor at Dresden Middle School and assists with girls' basketball, was nominated by her good friend and co-worker Pam Copeland.

When the Banner initially reported in October that Leigh has been selected to be a Torchbearer, she had no idea who had nominated her. She stated that she learned the name of her nominator by chance through an email from Coca-Cola who awarded the honor. She said she confronted her friend, who laughingly told her she had hoped to keep it a secret until after the December 15 event. Leigh said she and Pam, who teaches social studies, have been on faculty together for 10 years. She added that all the faculty and students at the school are excited that she is a participant.

Leigh is married to Dickie Hart, who has been employed by Martin Fire Department for 22 years and currently serves as captain, and has also been employed at Dresden Fire Department for nine years, where he serves as fire chief. The Harts have one daughter, Haley, who is a kindergarten student.

Leigh said she is trying to keep in shape for the December 15 event through her physical exercise at school and walking at home during her spare time.

In addition to torchbearers, the Olympic Flame will travel via car, truck, airplane, train, ship, dog sled, skier, horse-drawn sleigh, snowmobile, ice skaters and other unique modes of transportation.

"As the flame weaves its way across the nation, it will ignite the Olympic spirit within each of us and inspire us to make the world a better place," said Mitt Romney, SLOC president and CEO.
   

Phone (731) 352-3323 or Fax (731) 352-3322
washburn@mckenziebanner.com