UPDATED: June 5, 2014 More on Burbank becoming a “host town”for the Special Olympics World Games 2015 on the city website.
A big announcement is set to take place at the Burbank City Council meeting this evening. Burbank has been selected as a “host town” for the the Special Olympics World Games 2015. “Special Olympics World Games bring public attention to the talents and capabilities of people with intellectual disabilities, helping to change attitudes and break down barriers that excluded them from the mainstream of the community,” according to the Special Olympics website.
The summer games will be staged in Los Angeles from July 25-August 2, 2015. The last time this event was held in the U.S. was in 1999 in Raleigh, North Carolina.
The event is going to be huge. Seven thousand athletes and 3,000 coaches from 177 countries are expected to participate, along with 30,000 volunteers, according to a news release. They’re anticipating 500,000 spectators will come to watch these special athletes demonstrate their skills and challenge themselves.
It reportedly will be the the largest sports-and-humanitarian event anywhere in the world in 2015 and the single biggest event in Los Angeles since the 1984 Olympic Games. Details on Burbank’s involvement as a “host town” will be revealed at the council meeting. Also, Allen Wales, Special Olympic athlete and World Games Global Ambassador; Rafer Johnson, Olympic Gold Medalist and Founder, Special Olympics Southern California; Patrick McClenahan, President and CEO of Special Olympics World Games Los Angeles, and Steve Starleaf, Executive Director of the Burbank Tennis Center will be there to take part in a special presentation.
The Burbank City Council meeting begins at 6 p.m. in council chambers at 275 East Olive Avenue.
