Colorful rally in the Cal State L.A. gym will feature band, drill and cheer teams from Mark Keppel and San Gabriel high schools, University athletes and mascot Eddie the Eagle.
WHAT: Nearly 200 German athletes, coaches and staff will take part in a rally before leaving to compete in the 2015 Special Olympics World Games.
WHY: Alhambra, Monterey Park and Lincoln Heights are serving as host towns for the German delegation. Cal State L.A. will provide housing, meals and training facilities for the athletes, coaches and staff. This farewell rally sends the athletes off to the games with the well-wishes of their host communities and Cal State L.A.
WHERE/WHEN: Friday, July 24, 2015, 11 a.m., Cal State L.A. Gymnasium, 5151 State University Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90032. For a campus map, click here.
VISUALS: The event will provide the following visuals:
- German athletes entering the gym in grand fashion, to the roar of applause and spirited music
- Cal State L.A. mascot Eddie the Eagle and members of the University’s athletic teams giving the German squad high fives as they enter
- Cheer teams and drill teams from San Gabriel and Mark Keppel high schools rallying the German athletes
- High school band performances
- Drill and cheer team routines
SOUNDBITES: The following spokespersons will be available for interviews:
- German coaches and athletes
- Nils Collingro, Head of Delegation, Special Olympics Germany
- Jeff Maloney, Chairman, Host Town Alhambra
- Kana Lee, Chairwoman, Host Town Monterey Park
- Marjorie Crowley, Chairwoman, Host Town Lincoln Heights
- Adele Andrade-Stadler, President, Alhambra Unified School District Board of Education
- Jose Gomez, senior vice president and COO of Cal State L.A.
BACKGROUND: The games will be the largest sports event in the world in 2015, and the single biggest event in Los Angeles since the 1984 Olympic Games. About 7,000 athletes and 3,000 coaches from 177 countries, along with 30,000 volunteers and an expected 500,000 spectators, will participate in the games. The games run from July 25 through August 2 and will feature 25 Olympic-style sports in venues across the Los Angeles region. The Opening Ceremony will be held July 25 in the historic Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, site of the 1932 and 1984 Olympic Games. The ceremony is expected to attract 80,000 spectators. ESPN will bring coverage of the World Games to millions of fans around the world.
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Cal State L.A. is a university dedicated to engagement, service, and the public good. Founded in 1947, the University serves more than 24,000 students and 235,000 distinguished alumni, who are as diverse as the city we serve. Located in the heart of Los Angeles, Cal State L.A. has long been recognized as an engine of economic and social mobility. Led by an award-winning faculty, the University offers nationally recognized programs in science, the arts, business, criminal justice, engineering, nursing, education and the humanities.
Cal State L.A. is home to the critically-acclaimed Luckman Fine Arts Complex, Pat Brown Institute for Public Affairs, Hertzberg-Davis Forensic Science Center, Hydrogen Research and Fueling Facility, Billie Jean King Sports Complex, TV, Film and Media Center and the Center for Engagement, Service, and the Public Good. For more information, visit CalStateLA.edu, or like us at Facebook.com/CalStateLA.
07/20/15