Mission Viejo Hosts Special Olympians from Indonesia and Spain.

More than 170 Special Olympians and coaches from Indonesia and Spain arrived at Lake Mission Viejo on Wednesday, July 12, 2015 to be greeted by a jubilant crowd of fans and volunteers. They were honored with a celebration of games, crafts, dinner and a 80s concert by the band, Neon Nation.

There may be language barriers, but it was apparent that the universal language of sports and music supersede all barriers. A strong sense of community was demonstrated with the many smiles, hugs, fis- pumps, high-fives and handshakes.

The success of these games literally depends on an army of volunteers, community groups, businesses, organizations, sponsors and volunteers. Among the nonprofit organizations supporting the activities are the Knights of Columbus, Lion’s Heart, Mission Viejo Little League, Mission Viejo Lake Association, Mission Viejo Christian Church, Mission Viejo Senior Activities Committee, Canyon Chapter National Charity League, Marguerite Tennis Pavilion, Boy Scout Troop 787, Girl Scout Troop 1103, AYSO Region 84 and more.

The 14th Special Olympics World Summer Games will be held in Los Angeles from July 25 to August 2, 2015. The World Games are an international sporting event for individuals with intellectual disabilities.

The star-studded show will be directed by Debbie Allen, Emmy Award Winner and produced by FiveCurrents. Headlining the ceremony is Stevie Wonder, Avril Lavigne, O.A.R., Cody Simpson, Nicole Scherzinger, J Balvin and ‘Reach Up LA’ theme song creator Siedah Garrett. Appearances include Jimmy Kimmel, Eva Longoria, Lauren Potter, Michael Phelps, Yao Ming, Greg Louganis and many more talents.

The gates open at 3 pm on Saturday, July 25 at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, 3911 S Figueroa St, Los Angeles, CA 90037. The show starts at 5 pm, but you are advised to get their early to clear security screenings and receive spectator information.

Spectators are encouraged to use public transportation. There is limited parking at designated USC campus lots. If you travel by train from South Orange County you get off at Union Station and it is recommended you transfer to the Expo Line Metro station is Expo Park/USC Station. Volunteers will be on-site to help direct spectators to the main entry plaza.

Tickets for the opening ceremony are still available. To purchase tickets for opening and closing ceremonies, visit Ticketmaster at: http://bit.ly/1dyHBWh. For a limit time you can receive a 25% OFF OPENING CEREMONY TICKETS (use offer code: WGFANS at http://bitly.com/LA2015discount.

For locations and times of the various sporting events from July 25 to August 2 go to http://www.la2015.org/venues/. All of the sporting events are free and open to the public.

For more detailed information go to LA2015 Home page at http://www.la2015.org/?gclid=COXnztDTzsYCFQGJaQoduyEJuQ or visit www.LA2015.org/opening-ceremony.

To learn more about how you can get involved with the Mission Viejo Host Town program, visit http://www.la2015.org/host-town/mission-viejo and on facebook at https://www.facebook.com/HTMissionViejo. It’s not too late to donate.

The World is coming, are you?