Who:

U.S. Postal Service Pacific Area Vice President Dean Granholm
Special Olympics Southern California Orange County Athlete of the Year Tony Briones
Special Olympics Southern California Board Chairman Tim Redmond
President and CEO Special Olympics Southern California Bill Shumard
Irvine Mayor Steven Choi

What:

First-Day-of-Issue stamp dedication ceremony for the Special Olympics World Games 2015 Forever Stamp

When:

9:00 a.m.  Sat., May 9, 2015

Where:

Special Olympics Southern California
2015 Orange County Spring Regional Games
Irvine High School and William Woollett, Jr. Aquatics Center
4321 Walnut Ave.
Irvine, CA 92604

Background:

The first International Special Olympics Summer Games were held in 1968 at Soldier Field in Chicago, IL. More than 1,000 people with intellectual disabilities from 26 U.S. states and Canada competed in track and field and swimming.

From those Games, a global movement was built that unleashes the human spirit through the transformative power and joy of sports, every day around the world. Special Olympics empowers people with intellectual disabilities to become accepted and valued members of their communities. This leads to a more respectful and inclusive society for all.

The stamp features the 2015 Special Olympics World Games Los Angeles logo, showcasing the colors of flags from participating countries. “The logo’s celebratory figure represents the courage, determination and joy of our athletes,” said President and CEO of the 2015 World Games Patrick McClenahan. “Placing the iconic image inside the circle represents acceptance and inclusion of people with intellectual disabilities.” The Special Olympics World Games logo was donated by the Davis Elen advertising agency. Art director Greg Breeding of Charlottesville, VA, designed the stamp.