Palm Springs eager for arrival of Special Olympic athletes

Los Angeles is the home of the 2015 Special Olympics World Summer Games, but 88 communities around southern California will get a chance to host Special Olympic athletes before they embark on the City of Angels.

Palm Springs was one of the lucky cities to be approached by the Special Olympics back in March of 2014 and gladly took on the challenge of hosting 71 athletes from Portugal and 21 from Bahrain, as well as their support teams.

“I think that the city of Palm Springs and its residents should be incredibly excited,” said Ulrich McNulty, chair of the Palm Springs Special Olympics Host Town committee.

The city of Palm Springs was an ideal match thanks to its rich history of culture and hospitality.

“Thinking about the hotel and hospitality industry, the hiking trails and other attractions that we have from the Tram to the Living Desert, I mean, to call it a no-brainer is a no-brainer,” added McNulty.

The athletes from the two respective countries will arrive in the Coachella Valley on July 21st and have busy itineraries already scheduled from the day they arrive to the minute they leave for Los Angeles on July 24th. Some activities include a trip up the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway as well as a visit to the Living Desert.

The athletes will also partake in a meet-and-greet at Indian Canyons Golf Resort on Thursday, July 23rd. Tickets for that event are $25 and will include vintage cars on display, as well as dancing and hor d’oeuvres from various Palm Springs restaurants.

Every aspect of the athletes visit will be complimentary, including their stay at the Hilton Palm Springs.

“As a board member of the chamber of commerce, when this proposal came to us, the entire board was thrilled and excited to drum up and create and bring sponsorships on the table,” said Aftab Dada, general manager at the Hilton Palm Springs. “In terms of dollars and cents, [the three night stay] is over $30,000, but we are delighted to give it to these special athletes and to represent our city of Palm Springs.”