More than 30 years ago, the City of Angels hosted the 1984 Olympic Games. In less than two months, Los Angeles will again host athletes from across the globe during the 2015 Special Olympics World Games Los Angeles 2015.
From July 25-August 2, athletes from 177 countries will compete in 25 different sports. Thousands will fill the stands to cheer on the athletes with special needs. And there’s still room for more.
The Special Olympics “Fans in the Stands” program encourages volunteers to come and support the athletes. Volunteers can sign up to be team captains and recruit 10 or more participants to show up for an event.
“Our volunteers and ‘Captains in the Stands’ represent the backbone of the games,” said Stephanie Medina, vice president of community relations for the Special Olympics. The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, the only venue in the world to host two Olympics (1932 and 1984), two Super Bowls (I and VII) and one World Series (1959), will also host the July 25 opening ceremony. The first class athletes’ facilities include the Olympic Villages at USC and UCLA.
“We have over 30,000 volunteers and 500,000 spectators and about 3,000 insured coaches from all over the world,” added Yamily Escalante, publicist for the Special Olympics Los Angeles 2015.
Cheerleading groups — both male and female, youth and adult — will encourage competitors in each sport. The cheerleaders come from 17 programs in Arizona, California, Kentucky, North Carolina, Maryland, Michigan, Texas and Washington State.
Charles Scott, a member of the board of Special Olympics Illinois, has been a volunteer for many years. Over time he has learned that Special Olympics is a place that deeply values its volunteers, their spirit and their dedication.
“You realize you’re really helping people whose abilities are different,” he said. “It is a rewarding experience for everyone.”
More than 7,000 athletes will compete in basketball, aquatics, and track and field events at USC; handball and roller skating at the Los Angeles Convention Center; and soccer, volleyball, gymnastics and judo at UCLA.
Facts and Figures
> Number of volunteers: 30,000> Guests of honor: 5,000> Viewers: 500,000> Representatives of the media and TV: 2,000> Number of locations: 27> Number of athletes: 7,000> Countries represented: 177> Number of sports: 25, including aquatics, badminton, basketball, beach volleyball, bocce ball, bowling, cycling, golf, gymnastics-artistic, half-marathon, handball, judo, kayaking, open-water swimming, powerlifting, roller skating, sailing, soccer, softball, table tennis, tennis, track and field, triathlon and volleyball.
