STAMFORD, Conn., Nov. 22, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Special Olympics
and WWE (NYSE: WWE) today announced a multi-year extension of their
global partnership to help create inclusion through sports. WWE
will continue to support Special Olympics Unified
Sports®, which brings together people with and without
intellectual disabilities on the same team. It was inspired by a
simple principle: training together and playing together is a quick
path to friendship and understanding.
WWE Superstars will continue to engage with Special Olympics
athletes all around the globe through Unified Sports®.
Over the past few years, WWE Superstars have participated in
Unified soccer in Italy, Unified
flag football in Arizona, Unified
bocce in Las Vegas, Unified soccer
in UAE along with several other events, panels, and leadership
conferences. Superstars have also reached out to Special Olympics
athletes to encourage them in training and to congratulate them for
achievements.
"WWE has been an incredible Global partner to our movement over
the past 5 years and we are so excited to announce that we will
continue our collective impact for years to come both domestically
and around the world," said Special Olympics CEO Mary Davis. Davis added "When we think of how
our partners have stepped up during this difficult time, WWE comes
to mind. Not only are they supporting us financially, but they
continue to help us find innovative ways to reach our athletes for
example, through the launch of our online fitness series School of
Strength, and talent engagement for our first-ever Gaming for
Inclusion event. WWE also supported countless virtual engagements
with Superstars that lifted up our athletes' spirits while
in-person activities were cancelled."
"WWE's bond with Special Olympics has become one of the most
fulfilling partnerships in our company's history," said WWE Chief
Brand Officer Stephanie
McMahon. "The determination of Special Olympics
athletes to consistently persevere in life is truly an inspiration,
and we look forward to supporting their mission for years to
come."
The multi-year extension also includes support as a Gold Partner
for the 2022 Special Olympics USA
Games in Orlando, FL where the
state-of-the-art WWE Performance Center is located and where many
of the Superstars call home. The sport of Powerlifting will also be
presented by WWE at the 2022 USA Games.
WWE's partnership with Special Olympics dates back to the 1995
World Games in New Haven, and more
recently has included partnerships with the 2018 Special Olympics
USA Games in Seattle, the 2019 Special Olympics World Games
in Abu Dhabi and an on-going
corporate partnership with Special Olympics Connecticut. Special
Olympics was named 2018 Business Partner of the Year at the annual
WWE Business Partner Summit.
About Special Olympics
Founded in 1968, Special Olympics is a global movement to end
discrimination against people with intellectual disabilities. We
foster acceptance of all people through the power of sport and
programming in education, health, and leadership. With more than
six million athletes and Unified Sports partners in over 201
countries and territories and more than one million coaches and
volunteers, Special Olympics delivers more than 30 Olympic-type
sports and over 100,000 games and competitions in a typical year.
Engage with us on: Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn
and our blog on Medium. Learn more at www.SpecialOlympics.org.
About WWE
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SOURCE Special Olympics