On Wednesday, the sacred flame of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games returned to the hometown of Demetrios Vikelas, the first president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

“This year marks the centennial of the death of Demetrios Vikelas, and we’ll commemorate this event,” Veria Mayor Charoula Ousoultzoglou-Georgiadi was quoted by Xinhua as saying. “He grew up here and loved this city, we are proud of him,” she added.

“It is a great honor for us to see the Olympic flame here again.The flame spreads peace and friendship among the people around the world, and we wish that the friendly people of Beijing would hold successful Olympic Games,” the mayor said.

The citizens of the northern Greek town considered the occasion a grand festival with the largest celebrations since the Olympic torch relay started on Monday.

With Mr. Vikelas’ statue in its compound, the central park of Veria became the place to hold mass celebrations of the Beijing Olympic torch relay on March 26.

Dressed in colorful costumes, the citizens expressed their best wishes for the Beijing Olympics in their own way. Groups of school children performed enthusiastic dances while students of three schools sang the song of the IOC in chorus.

Demetrios Vikelas (February 15, 1835 - July 20, 1908), was a Greek scholar and a man of letters. A passionate supporter of Baron Pierre de Coubertin, founder of the modern Olympic Games, he was actively engaged in the founding of the IOC and the holding of the first Olympic Games in Athens. From 1894 to 1896, he was the first IOC president.