Although the Salt Lake City Winter Olympics don’t officially get underway until Feb. 8, 2002, the prelude to the Olympics starts Dec. 4 in Atlanta with the Olympic Torch Relay.

More than 20 Mainers are among the 3,505 people chosen by Chevrolet and Coca-Cola, the companies sponsoring the torch relay, to participate. In all, more than 11,500 people will serve as torchbearers during the relay that will follow a route of 13,500 miles through 46 states. Each runner will carry the torch approximately 440 yards.

Among those chosen to carry the torch during the Dec. 28 leg that will cut through Southern Maine and into New Hampshire is Reuben “Butch” Phillips of Milford, who will represent the Penobscot Nation.

“I was quite honored to have been nominated and picked to carry the torch,” Phillips said.

He said that selections were not made based on the nominees’ athletic abilities.

“It’s because of their involvement in the community,” Phillps said.

Phillips, 61, was nominated by his two sons. Among the criteria for selection was individuals who have inspired others, who serve their community in an exemplary manner, who embody the Olympic Spirit of achievement through sport and friendship and who have motivated others by encountering and overcoming adversity.

“I was selected because of my involvement in native affairs with the Penobscot Nation,” Phillips said.

Phillips is a former Lieutenant Governor of the Penobscot Nation and is now considered a tribal elder.

He has been a long distance runner for more than 20 years and every Labor Day he participates in the Katahdin 100.

“It is a spiritual run. I’ve been involved in a lot of things. I’m a long distance runner. I take part in a lot of long distance native spiritual runs. We call them sacred runs. They are long distance relays. I’ve participated in a number of those. And I ran 50 miles on the 50th birthday,” Phillips said.

Anne Marie Furie of the public relations firm MS&O of Troy, Mich., is handling the selection process for Chevrolet. She said more than 200,000 people were nominated nationwide.

“I’ve talked to torchbearers all over the country and I come away amazed from the conversations,” Flurie said.

She said that many of the torchbearers have overcome life-threatening illnesses or are still dealing with diseases.

“They’re so inspiring and they’re so excited to be involved. They know [an Olympic torch relay] may not be coming back here for 10 years. Some of them are sure they won’t still be around,” Furie said.

Among the Mainers selected as torchbearers are Mary Kathleen Cahill of Bangor, George Ritz of Bradford, Nancy Patterson of Ellsworth, Theodore Pietz of Orono, Christine Simmonds of Rockland and Sarah Swan of Waterville.

Don Perryman’s Local spotlight column is published every Wednesday. He can be reached at 990-8045, 1-800-310-8600 or dperryman@bangordailynews.net.