Dear Olympic Committee,

In light of the flurry of news coverage on selecting a host for the 2012 Olympic Games, we are aware that you have announced London as the venue from a list of other great cities such as New York, Paris, Moscow and Madrid. But one town has been overlooked.

London may have been chosen due to its popularity, not to mention how many people live in and around it. It also offers much to see and do on every corner.

But what has London got that Rock Hill, South Carolina (US), doesn’t? There is plenty to see here. You think Piccadilly Circus uses more than a couple of light bulbs every night? Just wait until you see Cherry Road lit up at night.

First, there is the York County Museum, which is always a favorite with the younger children. It has many large and small animals on display, each one seemingly with its own story to tell. But how could one forget the planetarium? It's so technologically advanced that you might lose track of time, not to mention gravity. And just when you think you’ve seen everything, there is the museum store with its ceiling-to-floor displays of stuffed animals, jewelry and books.

About ten minutes down the road is Cherry Park. Forget about the Yankee Stadium in New York and the fact that it can hold 60,000 people. Cherry Park has the most glorious entrance and it even has a little playground for children. Surrounding this picturesque park is a shaded walking trail made for everyone. If you're not looking for any of this, Cherry Park also has five full softball fields, five multi-purpose fields, ample picnic tables, and it comes complete with a statue of Mighty Casey, Rock Hill’s own Babe Ruth.

“My favorite part about living in Rock Hill is that when there are sporting events going on, everyone comes down to the fields to watch their friends and family members play,” said Ana Mathews, Rock Hillian of five years. “I work at Chick-fil-A on Cherry Road and every time there is a game or two, people will pile in. It gets a little crazy sometimes, but people are always smiling.”

In case this doesn’t cover it, let’s head over to Brattonsville. Tired of your stressed out life? Then this is the place for you. Go way back in time to the 18th century and where do you end up but Brattonsville. Historic Brattonsville is a 775-acre village with over 29 historic structures. There are tons of villagers here too, all dressed for the part. Brattonsville also includes farms, animals, gardens and multiple trails that are beautiful all-year round.

Still not convinced? We’ll go to one more spot and what better place to end than City Hall. This place would remind you of Washington with its long, white staircase leading up to the entrance and Greek-like columns to match. This beautiful building isn’t the only thing standing. There are statues, fountains and more buildings that only add to the splendor.

“I’ve lived in Rock Hill all my life and I don’t ever plan on moving. I’m even going to attend college at (Rock Hill’s) Winthrop University,” said Kate Poplin, freshman at Rock Hill High School, of her town. “Why do you think we’re having growth problems?” James Hope, sophomore at Rock Hill High School, asked Poplin with a laugh. “Because so many people want to live here and we just don’t have enough room for everyone.”

In the event that you still have doubts, we have an eight-lane interstate, we are in the process of beautifying Cherry Road and we have even taken care of part of your job: the mascot. It will be the Come-See-Me-Festival-Frog, Glen. He is a crowd pleaser and the world is guaranteed to love him.

So we hope that you will take this pleasant town of Rock Hill into consideration. We have smiling faces and beautiful places. What more could you want? And don’t worry; we’ll forgive you for overlooking us the first time around.

Sincerely,
Lauren Ficklen
Concerned Citizen