Cyprus, St. Lucia Special Olympics athletes in Palmdale!

PALMDALE – Special Olympics delegations of athletes and coaches from Cyprus and St. Lucia are in Palmdale this week for three days of training and activities as part of the Special Olympics World Games Los Angeles 2015.

“We’re all looking forward to what will be a very special time for our residents as well as our visiting athletes, coaches and visitors,” said Mayor of Palmdale Jim Ledford. “Our Special Olympics Committee put together a fun-filled and memorable visit, and we’re inviting all our residents to be part of this special celebration.”

Free public events

The free public events include a kickball game at Best of the West Softball Complex on Wednesday, July 22 from 7 to 9 p.m. Residents are encouraged to come and sit in the stands and root on the athletes.

On Thursday, July 23, the events include Western line dancing at Marie Kerr Park Recreation Center from 1 to 3 p.m.; a cultural question/answer session at Legacy Commons at 6:30 p.m., and a visit to Thursday Night on the Square from 7 to 8:30 p.m.

“Please join us at one or all of these free activities and help welcome our guests to Palmdale,” said Palmdale’s Communication Manager John Mlynar. “If you’d like to make a donation to help defray the costs of the food, lodging and entertainment, please ‘like’ the Host Town Palmdale Facebook page at www.facebook.com/HostTownPalmdale and you can make a donation directly to the Host Town Palmdale program through the official Special Olympics World Games Los Angeles 2015 web portal.”

All donations are tax-deductible within guidelines of U.S. law.

The Host Town program has been an important element of Special Olympics World Games since 1995, and the experience has left a lasting impression on the local communities in Ireland, Japan, China, Greece, South Korea and the United States, all of which have previously organized Host Town programs as part of the Special Olympics World Games.

For more information about Palmdale’s Host Town program, visit www.la2015.org/host-town/palmdale or www.facebook.com/HostTownPalmdale.

For more information on the 2015 Special Olympics World Games, including volunteer and sponsorship opportunities, visit LA2015.org.

About the Special Olympics World Games Los Angeles 2015

With 7,000 athletes and 3,000 coaches representing 177 countries, along with 30,000 volunteers and an anticipated 500,000 spectators, the 2015 Special Olympics World Games – being staged in Los Angeles July 25 – August 2, 2015 – will be 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. The 2015 Special Olympics World Games will feature 25 Olympic-style sports in venues throughout the Los Angeles region. The Opening Ceremony will be held July 25 in the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and is expected to attract 80,000 spectators.

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