Pasadena and Area Cities Give Rousing Reception to Special Olympians

-Photos by Terry Miller

By Terry Miller and Joyce Peng
The Opening Ceremony of the Special Olympics World Games Los Angeles 2015 will take place on Saturday, July 25, in the historic Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, the only venue in the world to host two Olympiads (1932 and 1984), two Super Bowls (I and VII) and one World Series (1959). The star-studded show will celebrate the true stars of the Games – the athletes of Special Olympics – with exciting entertainment, the Parade of Athletes and the culmination of the Final Leg of the Law Enforcement Torch Run and lighting of the Special Olympics cauldron. Broadcast internationally by ESPN, fans around the world will be able to participate in this memorable start to the World Games!

On Wednesday morning Pasadena hosted Special Olympics delegations, including athletes and coaches, from Namibia, Tanzania, and Singapore as part of the Special Olympics World Games Host Town Program. In the days before the World Games begin Saturday, these delegations will be among more than 7,000 athletes from 177 countries that will be welcomed by Pasadena and surrounding communities.

The delegations arrived at Occidental College on Tuesday evening, July 21, after going through a final health check at Loyola Marymount University.  The athletes will be sleeping at Occidental College where they will also train in the mornings through July 24, before departing to their assigned athletic villages at USC and UCLA.

Host Town Pasadena arranged the city celebration as The Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics arrived in Pasadena on Wednesday, July 22. The Pasadena Unified School District Special Education Department/LEARNS provided lunch for the visiting athletes while the community gathered in centennial square with local school athletes, cheerleaders, jazz bands, drum corps and various volunteer service groups

On Thursday, The Youth and Family Program at The Huntington Library, along with the Boys and Girls Club of Pasadena, will be welcoming the athletes and provide a lecture and video of the Huntington Library, as well as a tour of the gardens. Del Frisco’s Grille of Pasadena will be providing the lunch and it will be served by Pasadena’s National Charity League volunteers. The final celebration will be a dinner dance held at Flintridge Preparatory School, hosted by their Athletic Council on Leadership.

Headlining talent at the official opening of the World Games includes Stevie Wonder, Avril Lavigne, O.A.R., Cody Simpson, Nicole Scherzinger, J. Balvin and ‘Reach Up LA’ theme song creator Siedah Garrett. The show will be directed by Emmy Award Winner, Debbie Allen and produced by FiveCurrents with appearances by Jimmy Kimmel, Eva Longoria, Lauren Potter, Michael Phelps, Yao Ming, Greg Louganis, Stephanie McMahon and many more …
The gates open at 3 p.m., but the show gets underway at 5 p.m.

Please arrive early to ensure time for security screenings and entry to the Coliseum in time for the start of the show. Services including Merchandise and Spectator Information will be provided starting at 3 p.m.

To purchase tickets, visit Ticketmaster at: http://bit.ly/1dyHBWh.
Due to increased security and the high level of local and international dignitaries in attendance; most of the lots near or around the coliseum will be unavailable for spectator parking. Bill Robertson Way will be closed for security purposes and other streets around the Los Angeles Coliseum will be impacted due to the magnitude and operational needs of the event.

Thirty-nine Final Leg Torch Run team members carrying the Flame of Hope ran through Temple City on July 19 as part of the Law Enforcement Torch Run (LETR) Final Leg for Special Olympics. When the Flame reaches the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum for the Los Angeles Special Olympics World Summer Games Opening Ceremony on July 25, it would have traveled through 122 California cities and towns.

The members consist of police officers and Special Olympics athletes from three of the 10 LETR teams. Seventy-six law enforcement torch runners, 10 Special Olympics athletes and 10 team leaders constitute these 10 teams. In addition, there are 23 logistics, four documentation team members, and one team captain, forming a total of 124 team members from 23 countries, 46 US States, six Canadian provinces and 94 law enforcement agencies.

Around 3:30 p.m., the runners arrived at Temple City Park from the Ralphs’ parking lot on Las Tunas Drive. Then they gathered for a ceremony with council members, state representatives, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department law enforcement officers, local Special Olympics athletes and residents.

Temple City Mayor Tom Chavez welcomed LETR to the city and spoke about the power of sports, which allows athletes to discover new strengths, abilities, skills and success.

“Now through the efforts of Special Olympics, those experiences can be shared and enjoyed by the millions of people around the world affected by intellectual disabilities,” he said. “The Special Olympics is a celebration, a celebration of caring and involvement. Through the power of sport, we can all stand together to create a better, more accepting world.”

Later, Special Olympics athlete Cody Pierce of Kansas spoke, thanking the city for allowing him and the LETR police officers to be at the ceremony. A gold medalist in long jump at the 2014 Special Olympics U.S. National Games in New Jersey, Pierce has been participating in Special Olympics since 2010 and is part of the New Hope Bulldogs, his Special Olympics team. Participating in 15 sports year round, Pierce said his favorites are basketball, football, and track and field.

“I wanted to participate in Special Olympics in order to live my dream of playing sports,” Pierce explained in a July 17 interview. “I have a heart condition so in high school I couldn’t do regular sports. But now I am enjoying my dream of being an Olympian. I also wanted to give back to the community and see the children that are participating in Special Olympics.”

Pierce’s head coach of the New Hope Bulldogs John Lair, nominated two athletes for the World Games from Kansas, Pierce and Chevi Peters. Peters was chosen as an athlete for the World Games, while LETR Team Captain John Newman chose Pierce to be one of the 10 Special Olympics athletes for the torch run after being inspired by Pierce’s story. To prepare for the run, Pierce worked out every morning five days a week.

After Pierce spoke, law enforcement officer Bob Scarpelli of Maine spoke about his involvement with Special Olympics. It started in the late 1980s when his friend asked if he can participate in a local Special Olympics torch run. As years went by, his involvement grew. He mentored special education middle school children, coached the Maine regional games, and become chaperone, coach and driver for the Maine’s South Portland Special Olympics team for Maine’s summer games.

“I have three things I want to talk about,” Scarpelli voiced in his speech. “I want to talk about awareness, making people aware of what they can do for Special Olympics. To the acceptance, to accept our Special Olympics athletes. And inclusion, to include them in all that we do.”

Scarpelli mentioned he applied for the LETR in order to meet different police officers around the world, to give something to the world and to have a memorable experience to cumulate his career that might end soon.

Route Leader Roberta Abner commented that she was impressed by the high energy and support from the audience, which constituted the largest gathering so far in her group’s specific route.

President of the Temple City Chamber of Commerce Peter Choi said, “I am very excited and proud that the Temple City stop had one of the largest participation of community support for this Special Olympics event.”

Go Metro.The recommended Expo Line Metro station is Expo Park/USC Station. Limited parking will be available at designated USC campus lots.

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