The V.I. Olympic Committee asked for a $600,000 general fund appropriation during budget hearings Wednesday in Frederiksted.
As an unincorporated territory of the U.S., the Virgin Islands is able to field its own teams to the quadrennial games.
The budget request, relayed by Olympic Committee President Hans Lawaetz, is well above the governor’s recommended appropriation of $170,000. Funding for the committee has been trending downward the last few years. In 2008, the committee’s appropriation was $400,000 and in 2009, Gov. John deJongh Jr. recommended and the Legislature appropriated $270,000.
Along with the general fund appropriation, the committee expects about $137,000 from grants and fund raising.
Lawaetz acknowledged there may not be sufficient funding available, adding the qualifier "if funds are available," to several of his budget items. But without the funding, the committee would have to cut back considerably on grants to athletes, assistance to sport federations and administrative costs, cutting back on opportunities for Virgin Islands athletes to compete in the Central American and Caribbean Games at the same time.
"The 2010 CAC Games provide the biggest opportunity for our athletes to compete and represent their country, the Virgin Islands, in major international games," Lawaetz said. "But it takes a great deal of training and competition prior to the games. … Sports is the answer for many of our troubled young people but it needs the support of our schools and parents … with the financial backing of the V.I. Government."
The V.I. Olympic Committee helps fund training and travel to international competitions. Lawaetz’s budget allocates $132,000 for a year of training grants to 14 promising athletes, $183,000 for uniforms, fees and travel expenses to send as many as 207 athletes to the CAC Games and $240,000 for direct assistance to sports federations. The committee’s office expenses, rent, utilities and salaries come to $129,000.
Testifying at the same time, the V.I. Track and Field Federation requested a separate appropriation of $175,000. There is no recommended appropriation, as historically the federation’s government funding has come through other organizations.
"We don’t believe we should continue to be under the Olympic Committee or Housing Parks and Recreation," said Ronald Russell, the federation president. "The reason is we have athletes performing on the world stage that need our support now."
Russell pointed to world class runners LaVerne Jones and Tabarie Henry and others to highlight the abilities of Virgin Islanders and the opportunities having them compete provide both for those individuals and for the territory to get good publicity.
No votes were taken at the information gathering budget hearing of the Senate Finance Committee. Present were Sens. Terrence "Positive" Nelson, Sammuel Sanes, Nereida "Nellie" O’Reilly, Patrick Sprauve, Usie Richards and Wayne James.
