The LA84 Foundation hosted more than 300 guests on its West Adams campus to celebrate its 40 years of impact and LA’s 1984 Summer Olympic Games. The guests included Mayor Karen Bass, several members of the Los Angeles Olympic Organizing Committee, over 30 Olympians, local elected officials, as well as United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee leaders.
The day began with the intersection of West Adams Boulevard and South Gramercy Place being officially dedicated as “LA84 Foundation Square” by the City of Los Angeles.
“For 40 years, the LA84 Foundation has been a symbol of how the leaders of LA’s 1984 Summer Olympic Games wanted to continue to give back to Los Angeles long after the Games ended,” said Renata Simril, president & CEO of the LA84 Foundation.
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“The LA84 Foundation believes in making the world better through creating access to youth sports and structured play. Our work is inspired by visionary leaders like Peter V. Ueberroth, Rafer Johnson, and our founding board members. We are grateful to Councilwoman Heather Hutt for recognizing the impact we have and will continue to make,” added Simril.
The motion to dedicate the intersection was introduced by Councilwoman Heather Hutt, who attended the ceremony. Hutt represents the 10th District of Los Angeles, which includes Historic West Adams.
“We are celebrating the profound impact the LA84 Foundation has had right here in this community for 40 years,” said Hutt.
Bass addressed the gathering after a procession of Olympians – led by Edwin Moses as he had during the 1984 Opening Ceremony in the Coliseum – recited the Olympic Oath.
“I want to congratulate LA84 for 40 years of legacy and the organizing committee,” said the mayor.
“I want to acknowledge the civic leaders who had the foresight to truly change the concept for what the legacy of a major sporting event could mean. Not giant stadiums or redevelopment – but investment in young people, access and equity.”
In addition to the LA84 Foundation’s community and civic contributions, the gala celebrated the vision and accomplishments of the Los Angeles Olympic Organizing Committee. The gala also debuted the LA84 Foundation’s new exhibit in its sports library “LA84 Eternal Flame – The Enduring Legacies of the 1984 Summer Olympic Games.”
The LA84 Foundation was created with a portion of the financial surplus of LA’s 1984 Summer Olympic Games. Its mission is to remove barriers to the transformative power of sport and play to support kids’ lifelong well-being, no matter their ability, family income, where they live, or their socioeconomic standing. In the four decades since its founding, the LA84 Foundation has supported nearly 4 million youth, 2,500 nonprofits organizations, built or refurbished 400 fields of play, courts or fields, and trained 200,000 coaches.
Casey Wasserman, chairman of LA28, addressed guests in a panel discussion about the future of the Olympics in Los Angeles with the Opening Ceremonies for Paris 2024 less than two weeks away.
“1984 was such an incredibly special moment in this city in every regard,” Wasserman said. “The people in L.A. loved the Olympics, and they embraced having the Olympics. So, coming back has created an opportunity to build on that. The second thing is as the Mayor said, we’re going to bring the whole world to Los Angeles, and let’s show how great L.A. is in every regard.”
More than 30 Olympians from multiple Games joined the celebratory event, and track and field icon Carl Lewis and basketball legend Cheryl Miller provided remembrances from the 1984 Games in a panel discussion on the athlete’s perspective, moderated by NBC4 Anchor Colleen Williams.
Lewis won four gold medals during the 1984 Olympics, equaling the feat by Jesse Owens in the 1936 Olympics by winning the 100 meter sprint, 200 meter, long jump and 4×100 relay.
“I will always feel this and say this about winning an Olympic gold medal,” Lewis said. “You don’t realize that when you finally get there, you’ve been doing this your whole life. I started looking back. I was a paper boy, and I used to run between the houses on Sundays. I was a really late bloomer. That was my moment, that 100 meter lap, seeing my parents in the stands, the stadium is cheering, and for that one moment, you are the center of the world. And it was incredible.”
Miller led Team USA to its first Olympic gold in Women’s Basketball in 1984 in the middle of her career at USC, where she was voted a four-time All-American.
“One thing that stood out, was it the first jersey I ever wore that everybody loved,” Miller said. “I had a country that I was representing, the USA. The National Anthem never sounded better. It invoked such a passion and respect, and humbleness. That I’m living in the greatest country, and still am, and to be able to represent it, and win a gold medal…absolute blessings.”
