Coca-Cola Nigeria Limited and Special Olympics Nigeria have restated their mutual commitment to work with all stakeholders to advance an inclusive society that promotes equal opportunities for every Nigerian, regardless of any form of disability, to reach for their dreams.
Both organisations stated this in Lagos recently during a welcome reception for the Nigerian contingent to the Special Olympics 2015 World Summer Games, which held between July 25 and August 3, 2015 in Los Angeles, United States.
Speaking at the event, the Managing Director, Coca-Cola Nigeria, Adeola Adetunji, stated that Coca-Cola’s longstanding sponsorship of the Special Olympics at the global level and here in Nigeria is in line with the company’s mission to inspire optimism and make a difference in the communities.
According to Adetunji, as a founding partner of the Special Olympics since 1968, Coca-Cola is pleased that the movement continues to empower and inspire thousands of persons living with intellectual disabilities to believe in their abilities and to reach for their dreams.
He said, “As we celebrate these gallant athletes, let us remember that, they are heroes today only because they had the opportunity provided by Special Olympics. Let us also remember that for each one of these heroes, there are more than a thousand others whose talents and potential may never be realised and celebrated, just because they have no opportunity.
But we, as individuals, as companies, as a society and as a country, must not allow this to be the case.”
Commending two of Coca-Cola’s employees, George Osadalor and Emmanuel Ekomabasi, who were volunteer members of the Special Olympics Nigeria Unified Soccer Team that won the football gold medal at the games, Adetunji said, “Our excitement at this particular victory is enriched by the fact that, these two Coca-Cola Ambassadors were a great inspiration to the victorious soccer team.”
Chairman, Special Olympics Nigeria Board of Directors, Victor Osibodu, also expressed his gratitude to Coca-Cola Nigeria Limited, stating that the company’s adoption of the Unified Soccer games since 2013 and the general support for the Special Olympics Nigeria since it was inaugurated in 2005 have helped to improve the athletes’ performance.
For their part, parents and siblings of some of the special athletes shared stories of the transformational impact of the training and support provided by Special Olympics Nigeria in the lives of their intellectually disabilities family members.
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