Olympian Aly Raisman Welcomed Home by Huge Crowd [Video & Images]

Thousands of residents gathered at Needham's Memorial Park to honor the gold-medal athlete back home.

Needham's Memorial Park and the sidewalks lining Highland Avenue were alive with excitement as thousands of area residents gathered to welcome home gold-medal winning Olympian Aly Raisman. Raisman grew up in Needham but trained for the Olympics at the Brestyan’s American Gymnastics Club in Burlington. Raisman is a life long Needham resident and a graduate of Needham High School. She won two gold medals and a bronze medal in the women's gymnastics competitions at the 2012 Olympics in London. On Aug. 16 Raisman's gym, Brestyan’s American Gymnastics Club in Burlington, welcomed her home with a rally. Hundreds of people came out to welcome the gymnast home from London. The energy of that event was only topped by the Needham celebration …

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Olympian Gold Medalist Aly Raisman Returns to Home Gym to Huge Reception [Images & Video]

All of our coverage of yesterday's welcome home rally for Aly Raisman, and some extra content, all in one place.

The parking lot of Brestyan’s American Gymnastics Club was packed full of cheering fans of Olympian Aly Raisman for a welcome home rally in her honor yesterday. Raisman won two gold medals and a bronze medal for U.S. Women’s Olympics in gymnastics at the 2012 London Games. Raisman, 18, of Needham, returned to the United States on Monday and was at her home gym in Burlington yesterday. Well before she arrived at roughly 11:30 a.m., crowds of fans were already lining up to welcome her home and for a chance to get an autograph and picture with the gold-medal winner. When she did arrive, to Queen's "We are the Champions," the crowd went wild, swarming the police cruiser that delivered her to the event. Welcome home, we are happy to see you," …

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Patch Facts

5 Things You Need to Know Today, Aug. 16

Possible showers and thunderstorms, a rally for a gold-medal winning Olympian and Lego fun at the library.

Five Things You Need to Know Today" is a Patch column that provides readers with essential, daily information at a glance.  Today is Thursday, Aug. 16. Here are 5 things you need to know:

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Aly Raisman to Be in Burlington For Welcome Home Rally Today

The Olympic gold medal winner will be at the Brestyan’s American Gymnastics Club at 11 a.m. this morning for a Welcome Home Rally.

American gymnast and Olympic gold medal winner Aly Raisman is scheduled to be at a Welcome Home rally at Brestyan’s American Gymnastics Club, 13 Ray Ave., at about 11 a.m. this morning.  Raisman won two gold medals and a bronze medal for U.S. Women’s Olympics at the 2012 London Games. Raisman, 18, of Needham, returned to the United States on Monday, Aug. 13, announcing her arrival on her Twitter account, with the post: “HELLO AMERICA," as reported on Needham Patch.  Now, according to the gymnastics club, she will be returning to where she trained to win the gold and become a local hero. The rally, which will be emceed by Jack Ferren, will take place in the parking lot of the gymnastics club. Burlington Patch will be there and will bring …

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