SOUTH BAY GALLERIA TO HOST MORE THAN 100 SPECIAL OLYMPIC ATHLETES FOR A DAY OF SHOPPING AND FUN

South Bay Galleria has teamed up with the Special Olympics and the City of Redondo Beach, which is a designated host town for athletes in the 2015 Special Olympics, to provide an exciting day of shopping for international Special Olympic athletes on July 22 from noon until 3:00pm. More than 100 athletes and their coaches from the 2015 Special Olympics World Games teams of Benin, Haiti and Suriname will attend this special event, according to Sherilyn Haddon, Marketing Manager at South Bay Galleria.

“As one of the leading retail shopping centers in the City of Redondo Beach, we jumped at the chance to host these amazing athletes and their coaches for lunch and an afternoon of shopping,” explained Haddon. “All of our retailers have really stepped up to support these incredible athletes, and have already provided more than $1,200 in gift cards and prize donations to support the event.”

Haddon notes that the shopping center’s management team has already received donations from tenants Macy’s, California Pizza Kitchen, Johnny Rockets, Ben Bridge, White Diamond Jewelers, Pandora and Tic Time, totaling over $1,200.

In addition to the attending athletes and coaches, District 4 Council Member Stephen Sammarco and Redondo Beach Mayor Steve Aspel will also attend the event to demonstrate their support.

According to Haddon, during the event, the international athletes will be treated to lunch, with their choice of a meal from any of South Bay Galleria’s Food Court eateries. Immediately following lunch, the athletes will enjoy an afternoon of shopping and exploring the mall.

“Since becoming involved in this special event, we’ve learned that some of the athletes visiting the mall are in need of shoes and other sports necessities,” explained Haddon. “Working with our tenants, we are proud to say we have arranged to provide these athletes with much needed athletic gear at the event, so they are able to compete at their very best in the upcoming games.”

In addition to all the fun for the athletes, Haddon notes that South Bay Galleria will also be holding a special social media contest to get shoppers and community members involved in this special event.

From July 6 through July 21 shoppers can “Reach Up” by taking a selfie next to the Special Olympics sign that is set up near Guest Services. Shoppers can then post their support photo on their social media channels using the hashtag #ReachUpSBG for a chance to win daily prizes ranging from Ben Bridge pendants to a free meal at California Pizza Kitchen. Four winners will be selected each day leading up to the Special Olympics Shopping Day at South Bay Galleria.

The Special Olympics Shopping Day event is part of the Host Town Redondo Beach program. Through this program, hundreds of Special Olympic athletes will visit the City of Redondo Beach and take part in events from July 21 to July 24, prior to traveling to Los Angeles to compete.

For more information on Special Olympics Host Town Redondo Beach, including volunteer opportunities or to make a donation, visit http://www.la2015.org/host-town/redondo-beach