Special Olympics GB were thrilled to be playing their part in this year’s global celebrations – with a huge shout out going to their founding partner, Coca-Cola and also Blackpool Tower, who have helped to make it all happen in GB.
Landmarks around the world turned red in a global display of unity on July 20th 2018.
Special Olympics announced that major landmarks, stadia and iconic buildings around the world, including their very own London Eye & Piccadilly Sign in the capital thanks to Coca-Cola and the World famous Blackpool Tower, turned RED as part of the Special Olympics 50th Anniversary Celebration.
Blackpool Tower was lit from 5pm until midnight and they are grateful to them for helping to raise the profile of the challenges faced by people with learning disability together with this wonderful half century landmark.
The act represents the dawn of the Inclusion Revolution—Special Olympics’ mission to end discrimination against people with intellectual disabilities (learning disabilities) worldwide and create inclusive communities.
More than 170 landmarks worldwide – including over 40 in Europe Eurasia – participated in the Light Up for Inclusion initiative, creating a global display of tolerance, respect and celebration of difference.
Major global landmarks participating in Light Up for Inclusion included Niagara Falls in the USA and Canada, The Angel of Independence in Mexico City, Sydney Opera House and The Water Cube in Beijing. Landmarks that lit up in Europe Eurasia included just some of the following:
1. Coca-Cola London Eye & Piccadilly sign, London, UK
2. Mansion House, Dublin, Ireland
3. Moorish Castle, Gibraltar
4. The Dom Tower, Utrecht, The Netherlands
5. Torre de Belém, Lisbon, Portugal
6. Pyramidenkogel Tower, Carinthia, Austria
7. Maschio Angioino of Naples, Campania, Italy
8. Olympic Stadium, Berlin, Germany
9. PGE Narodowy Stadium, Warsaw, Poland
10. Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center, Athens, Greece
11. National Art Museum, Bucharest, Romania
12. Bosphorus Bridge, Turkey
13. Dnipro Bridge, Kyiv, Ukraine
14. Krymsky Bridge, Moscow, Russia
15. Olympic Stadium, Baku, Azerbaijan
16. Khan Shatyr, Astana, Kazakhstan
Light Up for Inclusion was part of the action-packed Special Olympics 50th Anniversary Celebration taking place in Chicago from July 17-21. Chicago is the birthplace of the first International Special Olympics Summer Games, which was held at Soldier Field in July 1968.
Special Olympics athletes, coaches, supporters and celebrities from around the globe gathered in Chicago for the 50th Anniversary to commemorate 50 years of joy, courage and empowerment, and participate in a weekend filled with inspiring events.
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