Jul 18, 2008,
7:02 PM ET
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - President George W. Bush and First Lady Laura Bush will honor the 2008 U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Teams on behalf of America with a special send-off in the White House Rose Garden on Monday, July 21. The send-off will begin at 10 a.m. ET and is open to the media.
Representing the 2008 U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Teams and their respective sports will be:
· Tyler Byers (paralympic track & field/Washington, D.C.)
· Andrew Campbell (sailing/San Diego, Calif.)
· Debbie Capozzi (sailing/Bayport, N.Y.)
· Phil Dalhausser (beach volleyball/Ormond Beach, Fla.)
· Andrea Duran (softball/Selma, Calif.)
· Jennie Finch (softball/La Mirada, Calif.)
· Michael Friedman (cycling/Pittsburgh, Pa.)
· Bobby Lea (cycling/Topton, Pa.)
· Jessica Long (paralympic swimming/Baltimore, Md.)
· Caitlin Lowe (softball/Tustin, Calif.)
· Misty May-Treanor (beach volleyball/Costa Mesa, Calif.)
· LaShawn Merritt (track & field/Suffolk, Va.)
· Sarah Mergenthaler (sailing/New York, N.Y.)
· Kari Miller (paralympic sitting volleyball/Washington D.C.)
· Jason Rogers (fencing/Los Angeles, Calif.)
· Todd Rogers (beach volleyball/Santa Barbara, Calif.)
· Erinn Smart (fencing/Brooklyn, N.Y.)
· Hanna Thompson (fencing/Rochester, N.Y.)
· Kerri Walsh (beach volleyball/Saratoga, Calif.)
· James Williams (fencing/Sacramento, Calif.)
· Scott Winkler (paralympic track & field/Pittsburgh, Pa.)
· Russell Wolfe (paralympic archery/Williamsburgh, Va.)
The President will attend the Opening Ceremony of the XXIX Olympic Games in Beijing and will be present for a portion of the Beijing Games.
Later that evening, the President and First Lady will host a private dinner in honor of the Olympians and Paralympians. In addition to the honorees, Olympic greats Bob Beamon, Bart Conner, Jackie Joyner-Kersee and Shannon Miller will attend the dinner, along with other members of the U.S. Olympic Family.