LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Special Olympics World Games Los Angeles 2015 (LA2015) today announced that the Games Organizing Committee (GOC) has found its “Official World Games Headquarters” in one of the most iconic buildings in Los Angeles thanks to support from OUE Limited. The announcement was made this morning at a ribbon-cutting ceremony attended by Special Olympics global messengers and athletes, City of Los Angeles Council Member Tom LaBonge, Special Olympics Southern California founder and Olympic champion, Rafer Johnson, and OUE and LA2015 executives and staff.
“We are grateful OUE Limited is generously providing the office space needed to plan the world’s largest sports-and-humanitarian event of 2015 – the Special Olympics World Games,” said Patrick McClenahan, president and chief executive officer of LA2015, the Games Organizing Committee (GOC). “The offices are in the heart of Downtown Los Angeles, just minutes from many of our venues. The savings provided by OUE allow us to redirect resources to places like enhancing the experience of our athletes, who will no doubt inspire all of us next summer.”
The GOC is moving into the famous US Bank Tower, originally known as the Library Tower. Standing tall at 75 stories, two floors of the 1.4 million square-foot building will serve as the “Official World Games Headquarters” for the Special Olympics World Games, set to begin on July 25, 2015. The building is a 1,018-foot tall skyscraper that currently commands the skyline as the tallest building in Los Angeles. Located at 633 West Fifth Street, the building was recently purchased by OUE Limited, a diversified real estate owner, developer and operator with a real estate portfolio located in prime locations in Asia and the U.S.
“We’re proud to serve as the official headquarters for the 2015 Special Olympics World Games and partner with such an amazing organization and all that it represents,” said Richard Stockton, president and chief executive officer, the Americas subsidiary of OUE Limited. “We look forward to welcoming all of the Special Olympics athletes, families, coaches and visitors to Los Angeles for this unprecedented global event.”
In anticipation of the upcoming World Games, LA2015 recently kicked off the “One Year Away” countdown on July 25. These will be the first summer games held in the United States in 16 years, with the World Games most recently hosted in Athens (2011), Shanghai (2007) and Dublin (2003). The World Games will be the largest sporting event in Los Angeles since the 1984 Olympics, with more than 7,000 athletes and 3,000 coaches representing 177 countries, along with 30,000 volunteers and 500,000 spectators.
Volunteers and supporters are essential to make the World Games a success. To apply to be one of the 30,000 volunteers for the World Games please visit: www.LA2015.org/volunteer. To help raise funds to cover costs associated with the visiting athletes, please visit www.support.la2015.org. For more information about the World Games, please visit www.LA2015.org and on social with #TheWorldisComing on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.
About 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. Honorary Chairs of the Games are President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama, with Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti and California Governor Jerry Brown serving as Honorary Hosts. Current Founding Champions and sponsors include The Coca-Cola Company, Mattel, Deloitte, Toyota, Bank of America, OUE, Kaiser Permanente, Davis Elen Advertising, AEG, David Geffen, Steven Spielberg and his wife Kate Capshaw, The Walt Disney Company, Panda Express, and Knights of Columbus. 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 LA2015.org. and on social with #TheWorldisComing on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.
About OUE Limited
OUE Limited (SGX-ST: “OUE”) is a diversified real estate owner, developer and operator with a real estate portfolio located in prime locations in Asia and the U.S. OUE consistently grows its business by leveraging its brands and proven expertise in developing and managing landmark assets across the commercial, hospitality, retail and residential sectors primarily in Singapore. With its core strategy of investing in and enhancing a stable of distinctive properties, OUE is committed to developing a portfolio that has a strong recurrent income base, balanced with development profits, to enhance long-term shareholder value. OUE is the sponsor of OUE Hospitality Trust and OUE Commercial REIT. For the latest news from OUE, visit us at www.oue.com.sg.