Special Olympics Athletes Unite To Inspire and Design 2022 Special Olympics USA Games Logo

ORLANDO, FL | August 8, 2019: Today, the 2022 Special Olympics USA Games Organizing Committee unveiled its logo for the 2022 USA Games during a celebration ceremony at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World Resort. The logo—for the first time in the Games’ history—was inspired and designed by nine artistic and talented Special Olympics athletes.

Along with unveiling the logo, the Organizing Committee announced Jersey Mike’s Subs as Presenting Partner and The Walt Disney Company as Host during the event.

For the first time in the Special Olympics USA Games’ history, Special Olympics athletes from across the nation united during a three-day workshop in Orlando, Fla., in May where they worked with professional designers from national advertising agency partner, Publicis Seattle, to provide the vision for the 2022 USA Games logo, as well as the primary color palette that explodes with life. The mark represents the natural elements of Florida culminating in a fiery spark of the Special Olympics spirit.

The nine athletes included: Aarushi Pratap (Fashion Design, Tampa, Fla.), Andrew Weatherly (Abstract Painting, Closter, N.J.), Caroline Shin (Web Design, Tallahassee, Fla.), Coby Fineran (Drawing, Manning, Iowa), Haley Waggoner (Cake Decorating, Lincoln, Neb.), Lee Savage (Drawing, Lake Worth, Fla.), Mariah Gilbert (Drawing, Spokane, Wash.), Marta Páramo (Painting, Miami, Fla.) and Patrice Jetter (Graphic Design, Hamilton, N.J.).

“It is an honor to be part of the team that created the logo,” Special Olympics athlete Lee Savage said. “This was so important to us because Special Olympics is such an important part of our lives. We are proud of the logo and hope it can be an inspiration to society.”

“This logo tells a story of how a combined passion for sports, perseverance and art can literally come to life on a blank canvas,” said Joe Dzaluk, President & CEO of the 2022 Special Olympics USA Games. “These incredible athletes used their unique talents to inspire and design an iconic image for the 2022 Special Olympics USA Games brand, and it proved to be more meaningful than any of us could have ever imagined.”

Iranian-American filmmaker Rayka Zehtabchi, best known for her 2018 Academy Award-winning documentary short Period. End of Sentence., directed a mini documentary that was filmed during the Unified Logo Workshop. This unique approach to developing the 2022 Special Olympics USA Games logo served as the perfect platform to unlock the creativity and confidence of the Special Olympics athletes. Zehtabchi’s film beautifully captures the positive impact of the process and the undeniable spirit and talent of the athletes. Zehtabchi’s 5-minute documentary can be viewed here.

Jersey Mike’s has committed to be the Presenting Partner of the Games. “Giving…making a difference in someone’s life” has been the mission of Jersey Mike’s from the beginning. Since 2010, Jersey Mike’s locations throughout the country have raised more than $41 million for worthy local charities and have distributed more than 2 million free sub sandwiches to help numerous causes.

“Jersey Mike’s has a long-standing tradition of dedication, excellence and passionately supporting its communities, which mirrors the attributes of Special Olympics athletes across the nation,” said Peter Cancro, founder and CEO of Jersey Mike’s Franchise Systems, Inc. “Sports teach us valuable life lessons about teamwork and leadership, and Jersey Mike’s is proud to support the 2022 Special Olympics USA Games.”

The Walt Disney Company is the Host for the 2022 Special Olympics USA Games, offering its 220-acre ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World Resort as a premier venue for amateur sports in the nation. The venue is one part of the company’s multi-faceted support of the Special Olympics movement and the 2022 Special Olympics USA Games, which also includes additional sponsorship and in-kind support for the USA Games, as well as employee volunteerism and ESPN’s role as the Global Presenting Sponsor of Special Olympics Unified Sports.

“Special Olympics athletes provide inspiration to millions of people around the world,” said Rena Langley, Senior Vice President, Walt Disney World Public Affairs and Communications. “The commitment, dedication and leadership skills it takes to compete at this level is an incredible accomplishment and we are honored to be the presenting partner of the volunteer program and host of the 2022 Special Olympics USA Games at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World Resort.”

Other organizations that have committed as Platinum Partners of the 2022 Special Olympics USA Games include Orlando Health and Orange County.

Taking place from June 5 through June 11, the 2022 Games will feature more than 4,000 athletes, 10,000 volunteers, 1,500 coaches, and 125,000 fans from all 50 states and the District of Columbia, all of whom will unite in the Orlando area and participate in one of the country’s most cherished sporting events – the Special Olympics USA Games.

The Games will be comprised of as many as 16 Olympic-type team and individual sports, and as many as five demonstration sports. To learn more about the 2022 Special Olympics USA Games, please visit www.2022USAGames.org and follow the organization on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Orlando was officially announced as the host city for the 2022 Special Olympics USA Games in May 2018. Taking place from June 5-11, 2022, more than 4,000 athletes, 10,000 volunteers, 1,500 coaches and 125,000 fans from all 50 states and the District of Columbia will travel to unite and participate in one of the world’s most cherished sporting events. The Games will be comprised of as many as 16 Olympic-type team and individual sports and will be hosted at various world-class venues across the Orlando area.

Jersey Mike’s, a fast-casual sub sandwich franchise with more than 2,000 locations open and under development nationwide, believes that making a sub sandwich and making a difference can be one and the same. Jersey Mike’s offers A Sub Above®, serving authentic fresh sliced subs on freshly baked bread – the same recipe it started with in 1956 – and is passionate about giving back to its local communities. For more information, please visit www.jerseymikes.com or follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

The Walt Disney Company and ESPN are proud of their 34-year relationship with Special Olympics, together helping end discrimination against people with intellectual disabilities. In recent years, Disney and ESPN have continued to deepen their relationship with the Special Olympics movement through donation, program sponsorship and programming.

In recent years, The Walt Disney Company’s commitment to Special Olympics has included: Support for the Special Olympics’ 50^th Anniversary celebration and global inclusion campaign (“The Revolution is Inclusion”), including a year-long “Game Changers” storytelling initiative; Presenting Sponsorship of the 2018 Special Olympics USA Games and the Games Volunteer Program; Disney VoluntEARS engagement at Special Olympics events; ESPN’s Global Presenting Sponsorship of Special Olympics Unified Sports, which joins people with and without intellectual disabilities to practice, train and play together; and ESPN’s role as Official Broadcaster of the 2015, 2017 and 2019 Special Olympics World Games, the 2018 Special Olympics USA Games and the 50^th Anniversary of Special Olympics events in Chicago.

Disney World Resort in Florida, is one of the premier sites for amateur sports in the nation. The complex hosts more than 100 entertainment and sporting events each year and has accommodated 70 different sports featuring athletes from 70 different countries. Designed to provide professional, amateur and youth athletes with experiences synonymous with the names Disney and ESPN, the 220-acre facility features multiple competition venues, including 16 baseball/softball fields, 9,500-seat ballpark, an 8,000-seat arena designed specifically for dance and cheer events, 18 multi-purpose outdoor fields for soccer, football and field hockey, three field houses for basketball, volleyball, other indoor sports, a track & field facility and a cross country course. For more information, visit www.disneysportsnews.com for news releases, photos and videos. Follow us on Twitter at @ESPNWWOS and at Facebook at ESPNWWOS.

Orlando Health is a $3.8 billion not-for-profit healthcare organization and a community-based network of hospitals, physician practices and outpatient care centers across Central Florida. The organization is home to the area’s only Level One Trauma Centers for adults and pediatrics and is a statutory teaching hospital system that offers both specialty and community hospitals. More than 3,100 physicians have privileges across the system, which is also one of the area’s largest employers with more than 20,200 employees who serve more than 97,000 inpatients, more than 2.5 million outpatients, and more than 4,800 international patients each year. Additionally, Orlando Health provides more than $360 million in total value to the community in the form of charity care, community benefit programs and services, community building activities and more. Additional information can be found at www.orlandohealth.com.

Special Olympics is a global inclusion movement using sport, health, education and leadership programs every day around the world to end discrimination against and empower people with intellectual disabilities. Founded in 1968, and celebrating its 50th Anniversary this year, the Special Olympics movement has grown to more than 6 million athletes and Unified Sports partners in over 190 countries. With the support of more than 1 million coaches and volunteers, Special Olympics delivers 32 Olympic-type sports and over 100,000 games and competitions throughout the year. Special Olympics is supported by individuals, foundations and partners, including Bank of America, the Christmas Records Trust, The Coca-Cola Company, ESPN, Essilor Vision Foundation, the Golisano Foundation, IKEA Foundation, the Lane Family, the Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics, Lions Clubs International, Safilo Group, Stavros Niarchos Foundation, TOYOTA, United Airlines, and The Walt Disney Company. Click here for a full list of partners. Engage with us on: Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and our blog on Medium. Learn more at www.SpecialOlympics.org.