Now just 100 days away from the Opening Ceremony, Toyota, the Official
Automotive Partner of the 2015
Special Olympics World Games, rolled out its national and local
programs today, furthering its commitment to the World Games. Toyota and
its network of dealerships across the U.S. have committed to raising
funds to support athletes and their journey to the World Games in Los
Angeles.
Toyota dealer and Team Toyota NASCAR driver, Clint Bowyer, joins 2015 World Games Global Messengers, Ariel Lopez, Joseph Gorin and Terra Clendening, in the Circle of Inclusion at the Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Calif. (Photo: Business Wire)
“This is an incredible opportunity to support a truly global event and
we’re taking a holistic approach, from our sponsorship investment at the
national level, support vehicles and engaging local fundraising efforts
across the country to the hundreds of Toyota employees who will
volunteer at the World Games,” said Jim Lentz, CEO of Toyota North
America. “The world is coming to Los Angeles and we are proud to join
the Special Olympics World Games and support our shared values of
acceptance and inclusion.”
Also launching today is Toyota’s Special Olympics digital hub – “Journey
to the Games”, which will showcase Toyota’s various activities leading
up to the World Games this summer and throughout the Games itself. Fans
can visit ShareTheJourney.Toyota.com
to find athlete profiles and watch the Special Olympics torch make its
way to Los Angeles. People everywhere can participate in the
conversation by using #ShareTheJourney in social media posts.
In support for what is expected to be the world’s largest sports and
humanitarian event in 2015, Toyota will also:
-
Provide 400 vehicles to the World Games to help transport Honored
Guests around Los Angeles
-
Supply support vehicles for the Law Enforcement Torch Run for
Special Olympics Final Leg as the torch carrying the Flame of Hope
makes its way to Los Angeles
-
Partner with the Mural Conservancy of Los Angeles to create large
scale murals across Los Angeles that celebrate the spirt of the
Special Olympics World Games
-
Launch and maintain the online hub where fans can engage with the
Games and share stories from across the globe
In addition to activating dealerships nationwide to support the World
Games, Toyota dealers can help promote the Special Olympics and World
Games through in-store activations and events. Toyota dealer and Team
Toyota NASCAR driver, Clint Bowyer is lending his support to the Games
and the Toyota program.
“As a Toyota driver as well as a Toyota dealer in Emporia, Kansas, I am
looking forward to the opportunity to help Special Olympics athletes and
their journey to the World Games,” said Clint Bowyer. “Sports have
always played an important role in my life and after meeting a few of
these athletes earlier this year, I know they are ready to show the
world what they are made of!”
The World Games are the flagship event for the Special Olympics
Movement. Every other year, the World Games alternate between Summer and
Winter Games. More than 7,000 athletes, 177 represented countries and
30,000 volunteers are expected to participate in the Games this summer,
taking place in Los Angeles from July 25 through August 2. Although this
is Toyota’s first time sponsoring the World Games, the company has an
almost 30-year history with Special Olympics Southern California. Toyota
is committed to making its communities better places to live, and the
Special Olympics World Games partnership is one of those important
efforts. More information on the World Games can be found online at www.LA2015.org.
About Toyota
Toyota (NYSE:TM), the world's top automaker and creator of the Prius and
the Mirai fuel cell vehicle, is committed to building vehicles for the
way people live through our Toyota, Lexus and Scion brands. Over the
past 50 years, we’ve built more than 25 million cars and trucks in North
America, where we operate 14 manufacturing plants (10 in the U.S.) and
directly employ more than 42,000 people (more than 33,000 in the U.S.).
Our 1,800 North American dealerships (1,500 in the U.S.) sold more than
2.67 million cars and trucks (more than 2.35 million in the U.S.) in
2014 – and about 80 percent of all Toyota vehicles sold over the past 20
years are still on the road today.
Diversity and inclusion are long standing priorities for Toyota,
grounded in our core values of respect for people and continuous
improvement. Diversity and inclusion are central to all aspects of
Toyota - our customers, employees, dealers, suppliers and the local
communities where we operate. For more information on Toyota's
commitment to diversity and inclusion, visit www.toyota.com/usa/diversity. For
more information on Toyota's commitment to improving communities
nationwide, visit http://www.toyota.com/community.
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, 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. 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.
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