São Luís will receive the Olympic torch this Sunday.
São Luís will host the Olympic torch relay this Sunday with a grand celebration; details of the festivities were presented by the City Hall and the Rio 2016 Olympic Committee. "The Olympic torch relay celebration in São Luís will be a great opportunity to highlight the various aspects of our culture, many of which are recognized nationally," said the Municipal Secretary of Culture, Marlon Botão.
Maranhão 247 - São Luís will receive this Sunday (12), with a great celebration, the greatest symbol of the Olympics. The details of this party were presented by the City Hall and the Rio 2016 Olympic Committee in a press conference held on Friday morning (10), in the auditorium of the Palácio La Ravardière, headquarters of the municipal executive power. On the occasion, a replica of the Torch was also presented.
To discuss the key moments that will mark the passage of the Olympic Flame through São Luís, the following participated in the press conference: municipal secretaries Júlio França (Sports), Conceição Castro (Communication); and Marlon Botão (Culture); the representative of the Rio 2016 Olympic Committee, Carla Marques; the special sports advisor of the State Secretariat of Sports and Leisure, Miguel Pinheiro; and three of the torchbearers selected for the relay in the capital: swimmer Thiago Rezzo; sports agent José Augusto Santos, sports agent of the Movimento e Resgate project, developed by the São Luís City Hall; and social activist Maurício de Paula.
The local press was given details regarding the structure and logistics of the event, as well as the route that the Olympic Flame bearers will take over the 39 kilometers they will travel in São Luís.
The Municipal Secretary of Sports, Júlio França, highlighted that the City Hall of São Luís – in partnership with the State Government and sponsors – has prepared a grand celebration to mark the occasion in the capital, an opportunity to showcase the beauty and cultural richness of Maranhão to the world. "This is an event that values sport as a factor of social inclusion and will allow us to project the beauty of São Luís nationally and internationally. Therefore, Mayor Edivaldo ordered that a grand event be organized to celebrate our culture, aiming to guarantee a great celebration during the Torch Relay in São Luís," stated Júlio França.
The Municipal Secretary of Culture, Marlon Botão, emphasized the progress in setting up the structure for the event and assured that everything is ready for the grand celebration. "The Olympic torch relay celebration in São Luís will be a great opportunity to highlight the various aspects of our culture, many of which are recognized nationally. For Mayor Edivaldo, this is also an opportunity to celebrate and strengthen the culture of our city," he said.
The locations for cultural performances are in the squares D. Pedro II and Maria Aragão; and in the neighborhoods of Turu, Cohatrac, Anjo da Guarda, Avenida Litorânea, and Espigão Costeiro. Artists and theater groups, as well as those performing bumba meu boi, tambor de crioula, and other popular cultural expressions, will perform there.