Making a pledge of a “significant financial donation” and widespread use of its land, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints didn’t hesitate in showing its support for the Utah 2034 Winter Olympics and Paralympics.
On Tuesday, Bishop Sean Douglas, second counselor in the church’s Presiding Bishopric, announced the Utah-based faith’s “broad commitment to support the success of the 2034 Games.” The announcement was made during a media event at the headquarters of the Milan Foreign Press Association in Italy, just days before the Opening Ceremony of the 2026 Winter Games.
In addition to the financial contribution, Douglas said Olympics and Paralympics Games organizers would have access to church-owned property to use as venues, parking lots and event operations areas. That includes Block 85, located across from the Delta Center in downtown Salt Lake City.
The Block 85 parking lot is expected to be transformed into the Medals Plaza and a concert venue, just as it was for the 2002 Games, said Fraser Bullock, the Utah 2034 president and executive chair. It will also likely serve as the 2034 venue for the big-air competitions, he said. The other church parcels are located, Bullock said, from Park City to Provo.
Neither Douglas nor Bullock revealed how much money the church had pledged. Bullock said, however, that his group already has the check.
Read Julie Jag and Peggy Fletcher Stack's full story at sltrib.com.
This article is published through the Utah News Collaborative, a partnership of news organizations in Utah that aims to inform readers across the state.