In the spirit of the 2022 Winter Olympics, students at Bashaw Elementary School got up close to a piece of history.
Last Friday, Principal James Dougherty shared his own experience as an Olympic torch runner - and brought the torch to school for students to hold.
Mr. Dougherty, who was 12-years old during the time of the 1996 Centennial Olympic Games (Atlanta), says carrying the torch for 1 kilometer in Keene, New Hampshire, was an amazing experience.
He said participants were chosen by the Olympic sponsor, Coca-Cola. Mr. Dougherty was among the youngest to carry the torch, since only those ages 12 and older were permitted.
In Atlanta, about 1,082 miles from where Bashaw's principal carried the torch, legendary boxer Muhammad Ali lit the Olympic cauldron.
Back at Bashaw Elementary, students learned about the history of the Olympic games - and held onto what once held the Olympic flame.
According to Wikipedia, more than 10,000 torches were manufactured by the American Meter Company and electroplated by Erie Plating Company in Pennsylvania.
Each torch weighed approximately 3 1/2 pounds and was made of aluminum with a Georgia pecan wood handle and gold ornamentation.
What a cool experience for the Bobcats! Maybe there's a future Olympian among them.