Jun 20, 2008 6:02 AM, PROMO Xtra, By Richard Tedesco

Travelers at Chicago’s Union State got a rare glimpse of several former American Olympics gymnasts in action yesterday, as Allstate unveiled plans to build a park for children on the city’s southeast side.

That announcement was tied to a black tie Hall of Fame induction ceremony with Allstate as title sponsor last night.

Stellar gymnasts Shannon Miller, Domnique Dawes, Keri Strug, Dominique Moceanu, Jaycie Phelps, Amy Chow and Amanda Borden signed autographs and posed for photos with commuters on Thursday morning. That group collectively won the first team gold medal ever by a U.S. Olympic gymnastics squad.

The gymnasts also participated in an announcement Allstate and the U.S. Olympic Committee made about their new U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame Legacy program that will give playgrounds to cities that host the annual induction ceremony. The first project will be a Little Hands Olympic Playground to be dubbed Jesse Owens Park in the Windy City.

They were joined last night by a dozen other U.S. Olympic medalists at a black tie ceremony in Chicago for their induction into the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame. NBC will air the ceremonies on Aug.3.

The lineup included Oscar de la Hoya, David Robinson, Brian Boitano, Joan Benoit Samuelson, Amy Van Dyken, Bruce Baumgartner, Lones Wigger, Careol Hess Jenmkins, J. Michael Plumb paralympian John Morgan, Karch Kiraly and coach Carol Fassi.

“It’s an opportunity to honor the legacy,” said Karen Uhler, Allstate senior marketing manager. “This needed a sponsor. The opportunity to sponsor this was a wonderful thing for Allstate.”

It also affords Allstate a seamless opportunity to trumpet its U.S. Olympic team sponsorship role.

Allstate revived the induction ceremony in partnership with the U.S. Olympic Committee in 2004 after a 12-year hiatus.

The process of selecting U.S. Olympians for the Hall of Fame has a vox populi element, with fans’ online voting weighed in the equation. This year, 170,000 votes were cast in 50 categories to help make the selections at USOlypmicHallofFame.com.

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