In Paris, Abby Cox urges the next and ‘best generation’ to serve and build their communities

PARIS – Hundreds of young athletes from around the world, including six from Utah, gathered Wednesday morning on a bright green lawn in Paris’ oldest park, Le Jardin d’Acclimatation, for the Sport dans la Ville’s Festival 24.

Utah’s first lady, Abby Cox, urged what she called the next and “best generation” representing 34 countries to serve and build up their communities.

“Many of us love social media. Many of us love to be on our phones,” she said. “What we’re trying to do with service is disconnect from our phones and connect with our communities.”

Ryan Smith, who owns the Utah Jazz and Utah’s new NHL team, said working together as a community is what’s bringing the 2034 Winter Games to the state.

The International Olympic Committee voted in Paris on Wednesday to award the 2034 Winter Games to the Utah.

“We hope to see you all in Utah. But we don’t want you to forget about us,” Smith said, announcing they’d be getting both Utah Jazz and Utah Hockey Club gear.

“Wear it proudly. Know what we’re about,” he said.

The young athletes are also getting MLB baseballs provided by the Salt Lake Bees, the Big League Utah coalition trying to bring a Major League Baseball team to the state, and the Larry H. Miller Company.

Olympians like Lindsey Vonn, a member of the Salt Lake City-Utah Committee for the Games, were also on hand to provide inspiration.

The Salt Lake City-Utah Committee for the Games is partnering with Sport dans la Ville, a youth sports organization that provides opportunities to underserved communicates, to involve Utah youth in the effort to showcase social engagement through sport.

During the event, Fraser Bullock, CEO of the Salt Lake City-Utah Committee for the Games, and Phillipe Oddou, co-founder of Sport dans la Ville, signed a long-term partnership agreement. The partnership is a part of the Salt Lake City-Utah 2034 initiative to promote sport as a tool to bring communities closer together.