The Hermosa Beach City Council announced on Thursday, November 13, 2014 that Hermosa Beach will be a Host Town for the 2015 Special Olympics World games this Summer! The Hermosa Beach Rotary will spearhead the Host Town project.On November 4, 2014, Laura Leventhal, Director of the Host Town Program for World Games, provided our club an overview of the Special Olympics & explained how Hermosa — and our Rotary club in particular — might be able to participate.
Athletes from 170 countries will converge on Los Angeles in mid-July next year, prepping for, then participating in, the Games.
“Imagine all of the language and logistical issues,” Laura remarked.
Our specific assignment, along with approximately 100 other host cities, would be to provide lodging, meals and cultural interaction with the athletes assigned to our town.
Los Angeles is set to welcome more than 7,000 Special Olympics athletes from 170 nations to compete in 25 Olympic- type sports. It's a world stage for our athletes to demonstrate on the playing field their courage, determination and spirit of sportsmanship.
Last held in Athens, Greece, the sporting activities range from aquatics to volleyball: badminton, bocce, equestrian, golf, gymnastics, kayaking, soccer and softball, among many.
The Los Angeles Games will also provide a venue for global discussions and action on the impact Special Olympics can have on the lives of people with intellectual disabilities. More than 200 million people worldwide have an intellectual disability, making it the largest disability group worldwide. Intellectual disability crosses racial, ethnic, educational, social and economic lines, and can occur in any family.
Other interesting facts:
· The Games are scheduled for July 25 to August 2,
2015
· LA 2015 will mark the first World Summer
Games held in the U.S. in 16 years.
Major sponsors include Procter & Gamble, Safeway, UNICEF and Microsoft, which for the first time is helping athletes, coaches and families with key information management tools such as scores, personal bests and health/ nutrition facts.