|
Nearly 400 athletes come together to train in gymnastics, swimming, basketball, cycling, powerlifting, sailing, football (soccer), tennis and other Olympic-type events; Donation from Bank of America Charitable Foundation assists with delegation's preparation for World Games
WASHINGTON, DC and NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE, 10 July 2007 With less than 100 days to go before Opening Ceremonies, Special Olympics athletes from across America are set to gather in Nashville this week for the 2007 Special Olympics Team USA Training Camp as they get ready to compete in the 2007 Special Olympics World Summer Games in Shanghai, China.
|
Download print version (Adobe PDF file, 42K) of this press release |
Nearly 400 athletes and 150 coaches and managers will travel to Vanderbilt University to participate in sports training, team building activities and to learn about the Chinese culture in preparation for their 27 September departure to China for the World Games, which take place 2- 11 October 2007 and will feature nearly 7,500 athletes from 165 countries.
Country music superstar Jo Dee Messina and Olympic gold medalist Scott Hamilton are among the celebrities who will visit training camp to show their support of Special Olympics Team USA and participate in various events. These events include a presentation of Special Olympics Team USA's official gear where athletes, coaches and celebrities will unveil the new 2007 World Games uniform, an acoustic concert performed by Messina, who along with her band will play in a Unified SportsŪ softball game with Special Olympics athletes. Special Olympics Unified Sports combines approximately equal numbers of Special Olympics athletes and athletes without intellectual disabilities (called partners) on sports teams for training and competition.
"The 2007 Special Olympics Team USA Training Camp is a continuation of the hard work, dedication and commitment that have enabled our athletes to become the world's most inspiring competitors," said Special Olympics North America Managing Director Bob Gobrecht. "Training camp provides an invaluable opportunity for our athletes to gain important skills, receive training under the direction of their head coaches, meet their fellow teammates, learn to work together as a team and get an idea of what they can expect at the World Games in Shanghai."
A long-standing supporter of Special Olympics, the Bank of America Charitable
Foundation donated $500,000 to support the Special Olympics Team USA delegation as they prepare for the World Summer Games in Shanghai. Bank of America employees also will volunteer at various Special Olympics Team USA send-off events across the country.
"The 2007 Special Olympics Team USA Training Camp simply would not be possible without partners like Bank of America and we are extremely grateful for their support and continued commitment to the athletes and the Special Olympics movement," Gobrecht said. "The achievements of Special Olympics Team USA at the World Games will be a credit to the athletes, their coaches and our nation and we thank our wonderful sponsors and all our fans throughout the U.S. for helping us as we get ready to meet and compete in Shanghai."
"Bank of America is proud to provide Special Olympics Team USA athletes with the opportunity to demonstrate their outstanding accomplishments while learning from competitors from across the globe," said Andrew Plepler, President, Bank of America Charitable Foundation. "We are honored to partner with Special Olympics and support the athletes and coaches as they prepare for a memorable experience at the World Games in China."
Other Special Olympics Team USA sponsors include American Federation of Teachers, Columbia Sportswear, FedEx and Midwest Trophy Manufacturing Company.
The Special Olympics World Summer Games will be the largest international sporting event in 2007 and will showcase the Special Olympics movement, celebrating the abilities and accomplishments of people with intellectual disabilities.
About Bank of America Corporate Philanthropy
Bank of America has embarked on an unprecedented 10-year goal to give $1.5 billion to nonprofit organizations engaged in improving the quality and vitality of their neighborhoods. The Bank of America Charitable Foundation will give more than $200 million in 2007, making the bank one of the most generous corporate donors in the world. Bank of America approaches giving through a national strategy called "neighborhood excellence" under which it works with local leaders to identify and meet the most pressing needs of individual communities. Through Team Bank of America, bank associate volunteers contribute more than 500,000 hours each year to improve the quality of life in their communities nationwide. For more information about Bank of America Corporate Philanthropy, please visit www.bankofamerica.com/foundation.
Contact
Kirsten Suto Seckler
Director, Global Marketing and Awareness
+1 (202) 715-1147
kseckler@specialolympics.org.
Nicole Nastacie
Bank of America
+1 (704) 995-5953
nicole.nastacie@bankofamerica.com
|
