PALMDALE – The City of Palmdale, which is hosting Special Olympics delegations of athletes and coaches from Cyprus and St. Lucia as part of the Special Olympics World Games Host Town program, is inviting residents to attend the upcoming local events in conjunction with the Games.
This Friday, July 17, the Special Olympics Flame of Hope Torch Run will come through Palmdale. It will stage at Summerwind Elementary School, located at 39360 Summerwind Drive. An Olympic runner and an international police officer carrying the torch will begin running north on Summerwind Drive at approximately 2:30 p.m. and head to the main entrance of the Antelope Valley Mall, escorted by the California Highway Patrol and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. They are expected to arrive at the Mall’s new main entrance on the south side of building by 3 p.m., and there will be a brief ceremony marking the occasion, featuring remarks from Palmdale Mayor Jim Ledford and music by local favorites The Fulcos. Residents are encouraged to watch the runners from along the route or attend the Flame of Hope ceremony at the Mall’s entrance.
Read more about the Flame of Hope’s journey and history here.
You are invited to these events!
The athletes arrive in Palmdale on Tuesday, July 21. The City has prepared an itinerary of activities for the athletes and coaches during their stay that includes public events such as:
- A kickball game at Best of the West Softball Complex, from 7 to 9 p.m. Wednesday, July 22;
- Western line dancing at Marie Kerr Park Recreation Center, from 1 to 3 p.m. Thursday, July 23;
- A cultural question/answer session at Legacy Commons at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, July 23; and
- A visit to Thursday Night on the Square, from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday, July 23.
During their stay, the athletes will train at Marie Kerr Recreation Center. To help raise funds and awareness, the City is encouraging the community to ‘like’ the Host Town Palmdale Facebook page at www.facebook.com/HostTownPalmdale.
“Host Towns are responsible for the costs of hosting their delegations, including expenses such as food, lodging and entertainment. If any individual or business would like to help with fundraising efforts, they can make a donation directly to the Host Town Palmdale program through the official Special Olympics World Games Los Angeles 2015 web portal from the Facebook page,” stated Palmdale’s Communications Manager John Mlynar.
All donations are tax-deductible within the 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 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.
[Information via news release from the City of Palmdale.]
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