Video: Coca-Cola Honors 20 Inspiring People as U.S. Torchbearers for Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games

Video: Coca-Cola Honors 20 Inspiring People as U.S. Torchbearers for Vancouver
2010 Olympic Winter Games
Torchbearers Are Living Positively Through Innovative Efforts to Promote
Nutrition Education, Physical Activity, Community Involvement and Recycling

ATLANTA, Oct. 29 /PRNewswire/ -- Coca-Cola has chosen 20 inspiring people to
be Torchbearers for the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Torch Relay. The U.S.
Torchbearers were selected because they each use their passion for positive
living to affect meaningful, enduring changes in local and global communities.

To view the Multimedia News Release, go to:
http://multivu.prnewswire.com/mnr/ccna/40427/

The Torchbearers will carry the Olympic Flame through Calgary, Canada, on
January 18-19, 2010 as it makes its way to Vancouver and the Opening Ceremony
for the 2010 Olympic Winter Games on February 12, 2010. The Olympic Torch
Relay, presented in part by Coca-Cola, will last for 106 days, cover more than
27,000 miles (45,000 kilometers) and link together more than 1,000 communities
and places of interest throughout Canada.

Torchbearers were selected because of their commitments to sustainably
promoting three aspects of positive living, including:
Balanced Living - staying active and physically fit while having fun with
family and friends
Community - working to make good things happen for people throughout the
community
Recycling - helping the planet by recycling or donating time to a recycling
program in the community or school

Among those chosen to carry the Flame are 10 teens, five leaders from national
health organizations, three Coca-Cola North America employees and Olympic gold
medalists Shawn Johnson and Steven Lopez, who are part of the Coca-Cola "Six
Pack" of Olympic athletes and competed in the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.
People can view the Torchbearers' route and learn more about their personal
stories by visiting www.LivePositively.com.

"These inspirational people have shown remarkable dedication in encouraging
others and making a positive difference in so many lives, traits that
Coca-Cola has long embraced. Coca-Cola is saluting these champions of positive
living by recognizing them with the special opportunity to carry the Olympic
Flame," said Celeste Bottorff, Vice President of Living Well, Coca-Cola North
America.

Meet the Torchbearers
The following Torchbearers were nominated by peers, teachers and leaders of
youth organizations, and selected because of the significant contributions
they have made in promoting healthy, active lifestyles, community involvement
or recycling.
-- Kaitlyn Chana, 18 (Longwood, FL): Kaitlyn founded Love Letters: Random
Cards of Kindness, Inc., a national non-profit organization that
creates
positive and inspirational homemade cards for children with
life-threatening illnesses. Her efforts have touched the lives of more
than 48,000 children.
-- Crystal Hardy, 20 (Dublin, GA): Crystal co-founded Green Teens, a
local
recycling program for PET1 bottles that donates the proceeds to local
schools.
-- Ashlee Kephart, 18 (Brooklyn Center, MN): Ashlee founded Kids For a
Better World, a non-profit organization empowering youth to become
involved in addressing the needs of global communities.
-- Alison Hestrin Lerner, 18 (Encino, CA): Alison authored a book
entitled,
"The Greenstreet Kids: The Earth Warriors," about environmental
stewardship for children.
-- Taylor LeBaron, 17 (Ball Ground, GA): Taylor authored a book entitled,
"Cutting Myself in Half," about his personal weight loss journey and
how
he reduced his weight from 297 lbs. to 145 lbs., using a
self-developed,
teen-oriented fitness program.
-- Talia Leman, 14 (Waukee, IA): Through her non-profit organization,
RandomKid, Talia has impacted the lives of more than 12,000 children
in
20 countries working together to make a difference for a variety of
local and global causes.
-- Stevie Peacock, 15 (Venice, FL): More than 500 people have joined
Stevie
to supply several thousand children with school supplies and holiday
toys through her organization, Project KINDNESS.
-- Kelcie Thomas, 19 (Oak City, UT): Kelcie established a childhood
obesity
prevention program, Creating a Healthier You, which has helped educate
over 245,000 elementary school children in Utah about healthy eating
and
exercise habits.
-- Laura Webber, 16 (Pacifica, CA): Laura founded the 4-H Million Trees
Project that to date has inspired more than 25,000 youth to plant over
70,000 trees to help combat global climate changes.

-- Derek Wu, 17 (Salisbury, MD): Derek helped found the Youth Leadership
Academy in Wicomico County, MD, a three-day workshop for middle and
high
school students to hone their leadership skills in their schools and
communities.

Additionally, the following people were selected to carry the Olympic Flame in
recognition of their personal and professional dedication to promoting healthy
lifestyles and for empowering civic engagement in communities.
-- Timothy Alford, M.D., Member, American Academy of Family Physicians
(Kosciusko, MS): As a family physician for more than 25 years, Dr.
Alford has worked to strengthen public education and wellness against
great odds in the heart of Mississippi.
-- Liz Burns, Senior National Sales Executive, Coca-Cola North America
(Atlanta, GA): As incoming president of the board of directors for the
Cystic Fibrosis Foundation's Georgia Chapter, Liz chairs one of the
largest fundraising events, Chocolate, which has helped raise more
than
$500,000 for cystic fibrosis research. She also mentors a local family
through Big Brothers, Big Sisters.
-- Shawn Johnson, Olympic Gold Medalist in Women's Gymnastics (Des
Moines,
IA): Through Shawn's involvement with Triple Play, a program created
by
the Boys & Girls Clubs of America and Coca-Cola, she has helped
encourage children to become more physically active, eat healthier and
feel more self-confident.
-- Steven Lopez, Olympic Gold Medalist in Taekwondo (Sugar Land, TX):
Steven recently served as an honorary chair of Heroes of Children, an
organization that donates money directly to families of children who
have been diagnosed with cancer. Earlier this month, Steven also won
his
fifth world championship at the WTF World Taekwondo Championships in
Copenhagen, Denmark.
-- Trish Malatesta, Sales Executive, Coca-Cola North America (Salt Lake
City, UT): Trish organized Making Strides with Kids, a program that
introduces elementary school children in Salt Lake City to the sport
of
running and provides nutrition education in an effort to combat
childhood obesity.
-- Elizabeth G. Nabel, M.D., Director, National Heart, Lung, and Blood
Institute (Washington, DC): Through Dr. Nabel's leadership on the
NHLBI's The Heart Truth campaign, more women are aware that heart
disease is the #1 killer of women and are equipped with tools and
information to help them lead heart healthy lifestyles.
-- Judith Palfrey, M.D., FAAP, President, American Academy of Pediatrics
(Cambridge, MA): As principal investigator of Opening Doors: The
National Center for Children with Special Health Care Needs, Dr.
Palfrey
is helping to find ways communities and health organizations can
improve
recreational resources available to children with disabilities.
-- Jessie M. Pavlinac, MS, RD, CSR, President, American Dietetic
Association (Oregon City, OR): Through her work at the Oregon Health &
Science University and with the American Dietetic Association, Jessie
has dedicated her career to educating registered dietitians on a local
and national level.
-- James Pivarnik, Ph.D., FACSM, President, American College of Sports
Medicine (East Lansing, MI): As Director of the Center for Physical
Activity and Health at Michigan State University, Dr. Pivarnik is
dedicated to increasing awareness of the role physical activity plays
in
reducing risk factors for chronic disease.

-- Jed Selkowitz, Director of Entertainment Marketing, Coca-Cola North
America (Atlanta, GA): Jed is dedicated to raising awareness of lupus.
Through his work as a Board Member of the Georgia chapter of the Lupus
Foundation of America, he has helped raise more than $600,000 to
support
lupus awareness, advocacy and research.

"I'm so impressed by the positive and diverse influence my fellow Torchbearers
have had in communities across America," said Steven Lopez. "It is going to be
an honor to pass the Flame to one of these inspirational individuals and
celebrate the importance of wellbeing, community, unity and the Olympic
Spirit."

About Coca-Cola and the Olympic Movement
The Coca-Cola Company has been an Olympic Games partner since 1928 and is the
longest continuous corporate supporter of the Olympic Movement. The Company
works with National Olympic Committees in more than 200 countries to help
athletes train and compete. More than 90 percent of the Coca-Cola system's
investment in the Olympic Games is directed to athlete development and to
assist in staging the Games. Products of The Coca-Cola Company refresh
athletes, volunteers, officials and spectators during the Olympic Games, and
supporting programs such as the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Torch Relay allow
Coca-Cola to help share the Olympic Spirit around the world. The Coca-Cola
Company is the exclusive nonalcoholic beverage provider to the Olympic Games
through 2020.

About The Coca-Cola Company
The Coca-Cola Company is the world's largest beverage company, refreshing
consumers with nearly 500 sparkling and still brands. Along with Coca-Cola,
recognized as the world's most valuable brand, the Company's portfolio
includes 12 other billion dollar brands, including Diet Coke, Fanta, Sprite,
Coca-Cola Zero, vitaminwater, POWERADE, Minute Maid and Georgia Coffee.
Globally, we are the No. 1 provider of sparkling beverages, juices and juice
drinks and ready-to-drink teas and coffees. Through the world's largest
beverage distribution system, consumers in more than 200 countries enjoy the
Company's beverages at a rate of nearly 1.6 billion servings a day. With an
enduring commitment to building sustainable communities, our Company is
focused on initiatives that protect the environment, conserve resources and
enhance the economic development of the communities where we operate. For more
information about our Company, please visit our Web site at
www.thecoca-colacompany.com.

SOURCE The Coca-Cola Company

Helen Tarleton, Coca-Cola North America, +1-404-676-3238, htarleton@na.ko.com