IOV and The Olympic Torch

In May, 2008 an IOV delegation traveled to Nanjing, China to meet with the directors of the Nanjing Brocade Research Institute. The meeting was planned to coincide with the arrival of the Olympic torch in Nanjing.

The morning following a reception for the IOV delegation given by the Mayor of Nanjing, Deputy Mayor and Culture Department officials, Emma Hoefler announced that an invitation had been issued to IOV to participate in the torch relay the next day. IOV President Carmen Padilla graciously declined the honor, passing it to Secretary-General Hans J. Holz.

On the morning of May 26th, Hans ran a section of the Olympic torch relay through the streets of Nanjing. Cheered on by hundreds of thousands of spectators, including the President of the Beijing Olympic Committee, Hans was an instant celebrity.

His success was followed by a press conference (right) which was shown throughout China on national television.

The Olympic torch Hans carried was on display at the Bountiful Recreation Center as part of the 20th Anniversary Celebration of Bountiful/Davis Summerfest International in 2008.

The culinary institute’s presentation at the IOV World Youth Congress and Summerfest International featuring a “pilaf” dish, made from a recipe found in a 12th Century document from Azerbaijan, was a huge success.