Toyota Inspires City to Participate in 2015
Special Olympics World Games and Community Legacy
Today, and decades from now, Los Angeles residents and visitors
can discover the spirit of Special Olympics. As part of Toyota’s
“Share the Journey” campaign for the 2015 Special Olympics World
Games, athletes’ uplifting journeys inspired three public murals
dedicated today. City leaders joined Toyota executives, artists and
Special Olympics fans at the freshly painted Los Angeles Memorial
Coliseum mural to ask for participation and a celebration of
athletes’ joy and courage.
This Smart News Release features multimedia.
View the full release here:
http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20150707006590/en/
Image Title: Toyota - Special Olympics
World Games Los Angeles Mural Dedication Event; Image Caption:
Special Olympics athletes, Toyota and city leaders join together to
dedicate a mural at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on Tues.,
July 7, 2015, in Los Angeles. Created by David Flores, this mural
is one of three commissioned by Toyota to welcome the 2015 Special
Olympics World Games to Los Angeles (Photo by Casey
Rodgers/Invision for Toyota/AP Images)
Like the original freeway murals created for the 1984 Olympics
in Los Angeles, the Special Olympics-inspired artwork is intended
to stand the test of time. Working with the Mural Conservancy of
Los Angeles, the internationally recognized muralist and original
1984 Olympics artist Kent Twitchell returned to create one of his
famous realistic portraits. Twitchell’s piece and the two other
murals mark the upcoming global event and build on the city’s
storied history of outdoor art.
“The murals are a lasting gift to Los Angeles to celebrate the
life-changing power of Special Olympics and also honor the rich,
artistic history of this city that has embraced us,” said Jim
Lentz, CEO of Toyota North America. “Special Olympics is not only
an important global sports movement, but also an organization that
touches individuals every day around the world. We hope everyone
gets to experience the impact and help us cheer on the
athletes.”
Fans can cheer during 25 Olympic-style events throughout the
region, tune into ESPN coverage or send support through social
media that will be displayed on-site. Toyota is collecting athlete
encouragements and stories with the hashtag #sharethejourney and at
sharethejourney.toyota.com. Competition events are free and open to
the public, and tickets for the Opening Ceremony are available for
purchase at LA2015.org via Ticketmaster.
All three murals are just blocks away from venues hosting
Special Olympics World Games events July 25-August 2. Each weaves
in the spirit of Special Olympics through the individual artist’s
own iconic vision. Discover stories around each piece at
sharethejourney.toyota.com.
- Located at 1147 S. Hope St. in Los
Angeles, Twitchell’s piece Special Olympics Monument is a
double portrait. Rafer Johnson, an LA icon and Olympic gold
medalist as well as founder of Special Olympics Southern
California, stands alongside Loretta Claiborne, a successful
Special Olympics athlete and motivational speaker.
- Located at the Los Angeles Memorial
Coliseum, World Stage Legacy by well-known muralist David
Flores pays tribute to the 2015 Special Olympics World Games and
events that have taken place at the Coliseum throughout its more
than 90-year history. Figures include Special Olympics athlete and
World Games Global Messenger, Ramon Hooper alongside iconic figures
with a connection to the site.
- Located at 1248 South Figueroa in Los
Angeles, The Greatest from the artist Cryptik features a
large-scale portrait of boxing legend Muhammad Ali and multiple
plaques with inspirational quotations from Special Olympics
athletes and advocates. Visitors can move up close to the piece to
explore the words and connections.
“Long after the 2015 Special Olympics World Games end in Los
Angeles, the mural project leaves a historical monument to our
athletes’ spirit, determination and courage,” said Patrick
McClenahan, president and CEO of LA2015, the Games Organizing
Committee for this year’s event. “Toyota’s partnership and support
of the mission of Special Olympics has helped us reach further in
spreading the message of acceptance and to make a lasting
impact.”
The Special Olympics World Games will be the largest sports and
humanitarian event anywhere in the world in 2015, hosting 177
countries, 7,000 athletes and 3,000 coaches. It is the single
biggest event in Los Angeles since the 1984 Olympic Games.
For more information about the Special Olympics World Games,
visit www.LA2015.org. For information about Toyota’s philanthropy
programs, visit www.toyota.com/usa.
About Toyota
Toyota (NYSE:TM), the world's top automaker and creator of the
Prius, 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 40,000 people (more than 32,000
in the U.S.). Our 1,800 North American dealerships (1,500 in the
U.S.) sold more than 2.5 million cars and trucks (more than 2.2
million in the U.S.) in 2013 – and about 80 percent of all Toyota
vehicles sold over the past 20 years are still on the road
today.
Toyota partners with philanthropic organizations across the
country, with a focus on education, safety and the environment. As
part of this commitment, we share the company’s extensive know-how
garnered from building great cars and trucks to help community
organizations and other nonprofits expand their ability to do good.
For more information about Toyota, visit
www.toyotanewsroom.com.
About the Special Olympics World Games
Los Angeles 2015 (LA2015)
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.
About Special Olympics
Special Olympics is a global movement that unleashes the human
spirit through the transformative power and joy of sports, every
day around the world. We empower people with intellectual
disabilities to become accepted and valued members of their
communities, which leads to a more respectful and inclusive society
for all. Using sports as the catalyst and programming around health
and education, Special Olympics is fighting inactivity, injustice
and intolerance. Founded in 1968 by Eunice Kennedy Shriver, the
Special Olympics movement has grown to more than 4.5 million
athletes in 170 countries. With the support of more than 1.3
million coaches and volunteers, Special Olympics delivers 32
Olympic-type sports and more than 81,000 games and competitions
throughout the year. Special Olympics is supported by individuals,
foundations and partners, including the Christmas Records Trust,
the Law Enforcement Torch Run® for Special Olympics, The Coca-Cola
Company, The Walt Disney Company and ESPN, Microsoft, Lions Clubs
International, Toys"R"Us, Mattel, P&G, Bank of America, Essilor
Vision Foundation, the B. Thomas Golisano Foundation, Finish Line,
The Safeway Foundation, and Safilo Group. Visit Special Olympics at
www.specialolympics.org. Engage with us on: Twitter
@specialolympics, fb.com/specialolympics,
youtube.com/specialolympicshq, instagram.com/specialolympics and
specialolympicsblog.wordpress.com.
About the Mural
Conservancy
MCLA’s mission today, as when it was first founded in 1987, is
to restore, maintain and document public mural art in the Los
Angeles area. All of the Olympic Freeway Murals were being painted
out in 2011 when MCLA committed to the restoration and maintenance
of as many as could be successfully rescued. To date MCLA has
completed restoration of five of those murals, with a sixth
restoration to be completed in 2015. Two of those that remain
painted over are candidates for planned restoration in the near
future; and two were destroyed in the course of a Harbor Freeway
expansion project. To learn more visit
http://www.muralconservancy.org /
www.facebook.com/muralconservancy.
View source
version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20150707006590/en/
Golin for ToyotaSarah Ingram,
310-403-4574SIngram@golin.comorCynthia Cruz,
323-384-6358CCruz@golin.com
Toyota Motor (NYSE:TM)
Historical Stock Chart
From Aug 2024 to Sep 2024
Toyota Motor (NYSE:TM)
Historical Stock Chart
From Sep 2023 to Sep 2024