Unified Relay Across America coming to Connecticut from May 30 to June 1

Special Olympics to Unite the USA in the 1st Unified Relay Across America

The first-ever Special Olympics Unified Relay Across America presented by Bank of America will give anyone in the country a chance to carry the Flame of Hope that will be lit in Athens, Greece and help deliver it to Los Angeles for the Special Olympics World Summer Games. Over the course of 46 days, in a hand-to-hand exchange, thousands of participants will run, walk or bike a segment of the relay in this team and individual fundraising event as it passes through all 50 states.

The Relay will pass through Connecticut on Saturday, May 30^th, Sunday, May 31^st and Monday, June 1^st – and all are invited to join in, including individuals, corporate teams, organizations, and groups of friends and family members. Teams can include one to 15 people. To register and find out more - including when the Relay will be passing through your town - visit www.soct.org or www.unifiedrelay.org, email specialolympicsct@soct.org or call 203-230-1201 ext. 223. Register by May 15.

Unified Relay Rallies are also scheduled to take place at the New Haven Green, downtown New Haven on Saturday, May 30^th and at Bushnell Park in Hartford on Sunday, May 31^st.

The Relay will culminate at the Opening Ceremony of the 2015 Special Olympics World Games in Los Angeles on July 25, 2015. ESPN, the official broadcaster of the World Games, will produce the Opening Ceremony live as well as a nightly highlights program throughout the nine-day event. ESPN President John Skipper and ESPN Radio’s Mike Greenberg and Mike Golic, hosts of Mike & Mike, are scheduled to participate in the Unified Relay on June 1 when the Flame of Hope is carried through Bristol, home to ESPN’s worldwide headquarters. ESPN and ABC are the Official Media Partners of the Unified Relay Across America presented by Bank of America.

“In a time when there is so much dividing people, our World Games offer an opportunity for our nation to come together to celebrate differences and unify in the spirit of respect and inclusion,” said Special Olympics CEO Janet Froetscher.  “With so many people coming to the U.S. for the World Games, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity for every citizen to carry the Flame of Hope through their communities where it will light the caldron that burns during the Games. As the torch makes its way across our country it will bring us together in a unique way that will open hearts and minds.” 

The U.S. portion of the Unified Relay will begin on May 26, where it will be split into three simultaneous routes starting in Augusta, Maine; Miami, Florida; and Washington, D.C. Traveling west, all three routes will become unified in Los Angeles on 10 July. Along each route, welcoming ceremonies and community celebrations will take place nightly with musical performances, celebrity guests and Unified Sports Experiences.

In its role as presenting sponsor, Bank of America will provide significant financial and volunteer support to the Unified Relay. In addition, the company will use its deep connections in local communities to encourage participation among individuals, families and businesses.

“By putting our scale and resources behind the Unified Relay, we’ll help bring a message of unity and inclusion to an incredibly large audience, and hopefully break some fundraising records along the way,” said Anne Finucane, Bank of America global chief strategy and marketing officer and a member of the Special Olympics Board of Directors.

When the three relays arrive in Los Angeles, the Law Enforcement Torch Run Final Leg Team, comprised of law enforcement officers representing 36 countries, along with 10 Special Olympics athletes, will accept the torches and continue the Flame of Hope’s journey to communities throughout California, including Host Towns where Special Olympics World Games delegations from more than 170 countries will participate in pre-Games cultural exchanges.

Each Unified Relay route will be led by a group of co-captains, including media personalities, actors, musicians, athletes and Special Olympics athletes.  Co-captains will serve as spokespeople for the Special Olympics movement and the Unified Relay, encouraging participation through registration, fundraising and spectatorship. Co-Captains include Damian Lillard, Special Olympics Global Ambassador and American professional basketball star, Elena Delle Donne, Special Olympics Global Ambassador and American professional basketball star, Joe Haden, Special Olympics Global Ambassador and American professional football star, Maria Menounos, Special Olympics Global Ambassador and journalist, Aloe Blacc, American singer and songwriter, Josh Turner, American singer and actor, Special Olympics North Carolina athlete Zach Commander, Special Olympics Pennsylvania athlete Johanna Schoeneck and Special Olympics Iowa athlete Corey Leonhard.

Supporters will have the opportunity to run with the Flame of Hope by signing up as an individual torchbearer or as a team of torchbearers for a half-mile walk or run segment or a five-mile bike segment in an area of interest across the United States. Torchbearers will also have the opportunity to keep the torch they ran with by meeting certain fundraising goals. Funds raised from the Unified Relay will go to Special Olympics to provide sports training, competition opportunities and additional programming that empowers people with intellectual disabilities to become accepted and valued members of their communities, which leads to a more respectful and inclusive society for all. Participants can find out more information and sign up for the Unified Relay Across America presented by Bank of America at www.unifiedrelay.org.