| | March 29, 2000
The ESPN Great Outdoor Games, a first-of-its-kind multi-sport outdoors extravaganza, brings Project HomeSafe, a nationwide gun safety and lock distribution program, to the village of Lake Placid, N.Y. The Project has been adopted by more than 150 cities and counties around the nation. Lake Placid is the second location in New York to join Project HomeSafe. The launch takes place Friday, April 7, at 3 p.m. in the Lake Placid Town Hall.
"Safety is always our primary concern," said Jack Wienert, Great Outdoor Games executive director. "While target sports are an integral part of our event, the competitors are aware that safety is the first priority. We'd like to thank Project HomeSafe for assisting us in spreading this message to the people of Lake Placid."
Project HomeSafe was developed by the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) to promote safe firearms handling and storage practices among all firearms owners through safety education messages and the distribution of free gun locking devices.
"We are especially interested in reaching out to new gun owners who may not have as strong a background in safety as do veteran hunting and target shooting enthusiasts," said Doug Painter, executive director of NSSF.
ESPN's launch of Project HomeSafe continues with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation's (DEC) distribution of more than 1,000 gun locks this spring at various programs throughout the state.
The inaugural Great Outdoor Games takes place at various locations in and around Lake Placid, N.Y., July 20-23, 2000. More than 200 of the world's best outdoor sports competitors vie for medals and prize money in 21 events in four sport categories. The event features competitions in fishing, sporting dogs, target sports and timber events. The Olympic Regional Development Authority (ORDA), located in Lake Placid, works closely with ESPN, assisting in all aspects of the event, from venue management to volunteers.
The Great Outdoor Games airs on ESPN and ESPN2 beginning Thursday, July 27, featuring 17 hours of original programming, including primetime telecasts July 27-30. The event airs through Sunday, August 6, with one-hour compilation shows and extensive re-air schedules.
The ESPN Great Outdoor Games was conceptualized from ESPN and ESPN2's extensive outdoor programming. The popularity of shows such as Jimmy Houston Outdoors, The Fishin' Hole and Fly Fishing the World spawned three to four hour weekend blocks of outdoor programming, shown on ESPN and ESPN2. The ESPN programming department recognized the popularity of these shows and sports and saw an opportunity to create a multi-sport extravaganza, similar to the wildly successful X Games franchise. The upcoming Games are highlighted within the ESPN/ESPN2 outdoor blocks by the ESPN Great Outdoor Gamebook, which previews Great Outdoor Games events, rules and likely competitors.
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