I lost my job in February after nearly three years at a computer firm in downtown Manhattan- It was liberating-- I walked out and into a chilly day holding a big bag off stuff, but the day felt fresher, and I knew that many adventures were ahead. That night, or the next day, I wondered aloud to a friend about how great it would be to be able to compete in athletic events to win prizes--"The Unemployment Olympics", I would call it.
A few weeks later I decided to create and host the Olympics. I applied for a permit at New York's Parks and Recreation office, and submitted an event listing to Time Out. I put out a press release, and
FOX NEWS called and asked if I'd come on their show. It was a huge thrill-- you can check out the bit
here-
A whirlwind of making stuff, getting more donations, planning events, responding to the RSVP'ers, and just generally freaking out later...
And check out how it turned out! Everyone had a ball, and it got news coverage from LA to Montreal, Australia and Shanghai--
Here is some video from the New York Post and The Associated Press...