Atlanta's Olympic Legacy
July 15,2016
It was 20 years ago this week that the world’s sporting attention turned to Atlanta. The Olympics were our time to shine, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to show the world that a striving Southern burg could punch above its adolescent weight.
“The people who attended the games had the best experience. It was electric if you were there,” says Randy Parsons, 61, who volunteered as an airport greeter for 30 straight nights in the run-up to the games. “It definitely put us on the map and made it a better city.”
Never before had so many spectators crowded the arenas and ballparks to witness the scintillating Olympic games. Never before had so many athletes participated in the quadrennial games. Never before had so many people — 50,000 — signed up as Olympics volunteers.