David Ortiz, Larry Bird Tapped To Aid Boston's Olympic Bid
BOSTON (CBS) -- Boston 2024 is enlisting some star power in its efforts to host the 2024 Summer Olympics.
The group organizing the city's bid for the games announced Wednesday that several Boston sports legends will be on the newly created Board of Directors, including Boston Red Sox fan favorite David Ortiz and Celtics greats Larry Bird and JoJo White.
Other notable athletes joining the 30-member board include 2014 Boston Marathon winner Meb Keflezighi, Paralympian Cheri Blauwet and Olympic medal-winning figure skater Michelle Kwan.
"The Boston 2024 Partnership is fortunate to be surrounded by this breadth of talent and depth of expertise as we collectively showcase the significance of the Olympic Games for our city," said Boston 2024 chairman and Suffolk Construction CEO John Fish, "We're tapping into a diverse base of support, experience and counsel to develop a winning plan that aligns with the long-term vision of Boston and brings back to the U.S. the spirit and community-building power of the Olympic Games."
The board had an inaugural meeting Wednesday, and will "provide governance oversight on key policy issues leading up to the final bid." All members will be scheduled to meet together twice a year, but participate more frequently on small committees.
A poll released Wednesday found that 43 percent of respondents said they supported the pending Boston bid to host the 2024 Summer Olympic Games, while 46 percent were opposed.
But if organizers accede to a requirement that no public funds be used for the Games, support for them jumps to 56 percent, with 37 percent still opposed.
Some of the other big names on the board include:
-U.S. Olypmic Committee CEO Scott Blackmun
-Former U.S. Sen. Mo Cowan
-State Sen. Eileen Donoghue, D-Lowell
-Bentley University President Gloria Larson
-Celtics Co-Owner Stephen Pagliuca
Click here to get the full list of directors.