Seattle spends $30K to sponsor Special Olympics this July
Jun 16, 2018, 11:29 PM
The City of Seattle is now an official sponsor of the 2018 Special Olympics coming to town in July. The event will flood the city with tens of thousands of people over six days.
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Initially, the council planned to pass an ordinance Monday that would have waived all the fees associated with the event, as long as the Special Olympics meets its permit requirements. It would have saved the event some money, but the council tweaked its approach at the last minute. Instead, Councilmember Rob Johnson offered a resolution, which passed unanimously. Seattle is giving the Special Olympics $30,000 as an official sponsor of the event.
It’s a decent investment given that the estimated economic impact to Seattle is $50 million.
A total of $15,000 will come from the council and another $15,000 will come from the mayor’s office. The money is being pulled from the legislative departments consulting and agenda budget. The resolution also directs city departments to submit reports to the council by Aug. 10, 2018, detailing fees and costs, staff time, and any waived fees.
Special Olympics in Seattle
The organization is the largest in the world dedicated to sporting events for people with intellectual disabilities. The 2018 Special Olympics USA Games will come to Seattle July 1-6, and will bring about 3,500 athletes with it. Not to mention support, family, audiences, and others associated with the games.
The Special Olympics organization says that this will add up to “1,000 coaches, 10,000 family members, 10,000 volunteers and an estimated 50,000 spectators” taking part in the “premier national sports competition, showcasing the power and joy of sports at the highest levels.”
The city will host 16 Olympic-type individual and team sports. There are also special events planned.
The opening ceremony will be at Husky Stadium and boasts Grammy nominated singer Charlie Puth, DJ Marshmello, and actor Taye Diggs. Also attending are Seattle hip-hop artists Massive Monkees, Heart’s Ann Wilson, and singer-songwriter Allen Stone. Governor Jay Inslee and Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella will make an appearance. And Microsoft President Brad Smith will be the Honorary Chairman of the event.
The games are expected to take over venues at the University of Washington, Seattle University, Seattle Pacific University, Seattle Center, Westlake Park, Safeco Field, and Lake Union Park.
The organization says that the 2018 event will be the most “significant sporting event to come to Seattle since the 1990 Goodwill Games.”
