As a part of the Special Olympics World Games Los Angeles 2015, Claremont was asked to be one of the Host Towns for the Special Olympic athletes. For over 16 years, the Special Olympics have been hosted by a city outside the U.S. The Host Town Program is a 3-day program that takes place before the Opening Ceremony of the Special Olympics World Games. The Host Towns, which are responsible for delegations three days before the games, also provide 100 people with meals, housing, Community Cultural Activities, and transportation to other Host Towns and events. The Special Olympics will officially open on July 25, 2015 in Los Angeles.

“I think this is great. This is great for athletes who have worked very hard against all kinds of challenges to be in this competition and to be a host city, I think it is wonderful, keeping in with Claremont and to really support all kinds of causes,” Mayor Joe Lyons said. “It was a no-brainer for us to say yes, and it is really great to be part of such a worthy cause.”

Most events will take place at Cal Poly, USC, and UCLA. They will feature athletics in aquatics, gymnastics, soccer, basketball, track and field, and much more for athletes with intellectual disabilities from across the globe.
The Special Olympics was founded in the mid- 1900s when Eunice Kennedy Shriver, a member of the Kennedy family, saw how unfairly people with disabilities, like her sister, were treated, She decided to take action and see what they could do in sports, rather than to look at what they could not do.

“As a person who lives with a disability myself, I thought it would be a great time to give back to the local communities and to get to learn and know about further some of the great and incredible athletes there are within the Special Olympics community,” paraplegic and CHS alumnus Hal Hargrave said.

One of the factors the Special Olympics needs to be a functional event are supporters. Everyone can support and volunteer for the Special Olympics by volunteering in May to help with the Welcome Reception, Community Events, and to be ambassadors for the city. Students can contact [email protected] or visit the Claremont City’s website. Students can also apply to be one of the 30,000 volunteers by visiting: www.LA2015.org/volunteer. The Special Olympics is a way to change the lives of people around the world who are mistreated and excluded because they are “different.”