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Photo credit: Kimberly of Magical Memories with the Mouse |
Are you ready for some football?! Some inspiration as we charge into 2015? The Pasadena Tournament of Roses has been a New Year’s Day tradition for 126 years; an enduring pageant and kick-off to the yearly Rose Bowl Game. The theme of this year’s Rose Parade is “Inspiring Stories,” which most naturally lends itself to recognition of the 7,000 athletes who will participate in the Special Olympics World Games Los Angeles 2015. I applaud Kaiser Permanente for highlighting these athletes with their 2015 Rose Parade float entry: “Together We Thrive.” How right they are. See you in July Los Angeles!
PASADENA, Calif., December 17, 2014 — “Together We Thrive,” the title of Kaiser Permanente’s 2015 Rose Parade® float entry, celebrates the 7,000 international athletes who will take part in the Special Olympics World Games Los Angeles 2015 (LA2015) for nine days beginning July 25. As a Founding Champion and Official Health Partner, Kaiser Permanente is honored to dedicate their float to an organization that shares their commitment to diversity, inclusion and total health for individuals and communities.
Symbolic throughout its design, “Together We Thrive” is a floral salute to the 2015 World Games. The colorful float features a sculptured reproduction of the World Games torch, ablaze and sitting atop a rotating replica of the World Games logo. A rotating hexagon with eight magnificently detailed floral-graphs will serve as the floats central focal point. These inspiring photographic moments of past Special Olympics competitions were all taken by photographer Cory Hansen. On the sides of the float are reproductions of the emblematic gold, silver and bronze medals. A reproduction of the iconic Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, the site for the World Games Opening and Closing Ceremonies, stands tall as the float’s backdrop.
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, with the unparalleled spirit, enthusiasm, teamwork, joy and displays of courage and skill that are hallmarks of all Special Olympics events, will feature 25 Olympic-style sports in venues throughout the Los Angeles region. The Opening Ceremony, to be held July 25, 2015 in the historic Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, site of the 1932 and 1984 Olympic Games, is expected to attract 80,000 spectators. On April 30, 2014, LA2015 and ESPN announced a global programming deal that will see ESPN bring coverage of World Games to millions of fans around the world. Honorary Chairs of the Games are President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama, with Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti and California Governor Jerry Brown serving as Honorary Hosts. Current Founding Champions and sponsors include The Coca-Cola Company, Mattel, Deloitte, Toyota, Bank of America, OUE, Kaiser Permanente, Davis Elen Advertising, Microsoft, AEG, David Geffen, Steven Spielberg and his wife Kate Capshaw, The Walt Disney Company, Panda Express, and Knights of Columbus. LA2015, the Games Organizing Committee, is a recognized 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. For more information on the 2015 Special Olympics World Games, including volunteer and sponsorship opportunities, visit www.LA2015.org and on social with #ReachUpLA on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Thank you Kimberly for photos straight from the Rose Parade:
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Photo credit: Kimberly of Magical Memories with the Mouse |
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Photo credit: Kimberly of Magical Memories with the Mouse |
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Photo credit: Kimberly of Magical Memories with the Mouse |
Read more about my own Special Olympics journey:
4 Simple ways to Support the 2014 Special Olympics USA Games
Special Olympics and P&G Say Thank You Mom
10 Simple Ways to Support the Special Olympics
Top 10 Highlights and Lessons From the Special Olympics World Games
What a wonderful theme for the parade! I sure would love to see it in person one day.
Me too! This was a special tribute year, but the temps were CHIILY. I was so lucky to have a pal on the ground!
What a beautiful float and theme! It's wonderful that ESPN will be showing the games this year!
Isn't it? The Disney Company is really bumping their profile, and we're so grateful!
Wow! That float looks incredible! What a great tribute to these amazing athletes!
It really was the most perfect kick-off to the World Games in LA this summer!
That is definitely on my bucket list, seeing the Rose Parade. The float looks so beautiful in the pictures above. I think it's great they are getting the recognition they deserve.
I've seen the Rose Bowl venue from the outside- hope to get inside one day!
What a beautiful way to honor some amazing athletes. This year's parade was breathtaking. I'm always so amazing at how they construct the floats solely out of natural materials.
Isn't that a remarkable tradition Lisa? I'm so excited for the athletes who were chosen to march and marshall!
This is awesome! I didn't realize ESPN would cover these games! What amazing floats to honor these athletes. Hopefully one day I'll see this in person! 🙂
I applaud Disney and ESPN for this new partnership!
What an amazing way to honor these athletes, I love it!
I couldn't agree more Beth- another example of the power of one!
I love this place. I had an event here back in May last year and I felt like it was a perfect day for us! The NY events venue provides you with an event Specialist as part of your package which is extremely helpful. Plus all of us dressed up only added to the entire ambience.