A Historic Collaboration: Special Olympics and The Coca‑Cola Company Extend Global Partnership Through 2031
Special Olympics, Inc. and The Coca‑Cola Company today announced an eight-year extension of their long-standing global partnership, rooted in the shared values of championing inclusion.
This is the longest-ever renewal in the partnership’s history. The partnership runs through 2031 and is a testament to the Coca‑Cola system’s belief in the mission of Special Olympics to showcase the limitless potential of individuals with intellectual disabilities and celebrate the unifying and transformative power of sport. The Coca‑Cola Company is a founding partner, dating to the inception of Special Olympics in 1968.
[p"We are honored and grateful to continue our long-standing partnership with Coca‑Cola to create an inclusive world for everyone,” said Mary Davis, Chief Executive Officer, Special Olympics. “As our founding partner and global sponsor for the past 56 years, Coca‑Cola has helped us transform the lives of one of the most marginalized populations of people across the globe – those with intellectual disabilities. Coca‑Cola has been an agent of change for inclusion in creating experiences and opportunities for our millions of athletes, coaches and volunteers, forever changing the way the world views inclusion.” [/p]Coca‑Cola supports Special Olympics programs, athletes and events around the world through monetary and in-kind donations, volunteer support and awareness-driving marketing initiatives.
[p"Special Olympics, much like Coca‑Cola, helps bring people together through sports, inclusivity and celebration,” said James Quincey, Chairman and CEO of The Coca‑Cola Company and member of Special Olympics Board of Directors. “We’re proud to continue supporting this important organization, while cheering on every athlete courageously pursuing their dreams.”[/p]Last summer, the partnership leveraged the reach of the global Coca‑Cola brand to promote the largest humanitarian event in 2023 – the Special Olympics World Summer Games in Berlin. More than 6,500 Special Olympics athletes and Unified partners representing 170-plus countries and territories competed before more than 300,000 spectators.
In Berlin, Coca‑Cola led its “Your Support is Real Magic” marketing campaign, featuring the inspiring stories of participating Special Olympics athletes. The company also refreshed athletes and fans with beverages throughout the Games and mobilized an employee volunteer network.
The Special Olympics World Games is the largest inclusive global sporting event, held every two years, alternating between summer and winter editions. The 2025 Winter Games will be held in Turin, Italy, and the 2027 Summer Games will take place in Santiago, Chile. In addition to these tentpole events, Coca‑Cola supports local Special Olympics competitions and programs throughout the year.
About Special Olympics
Founded in 1968, Special Olympics is a global movement to end discrimination against people with intellectual disabilities. We foster acceptance of all people through the power of sport and programming in education, health and leadership. With over four million athletes and Unified Sports® partners and one million coaches and volunteers in over 200 countries, Special Olympics delivers more than 30 Olympic-type sports and nearly 50,000 games and competitions every year. Engage with us on: X, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, and LinkedIn. Learn more at SpecialOlympics.org.
About The Coca‑Cola Company
The Coca‑Cola Company (NYSE: KO) is a total beverage company with products sold in more than 200 countries and territories. Our company’s purpose is to refresh the world and make a difference. We sell multiple billion-dollar brands across several beverage categories worldwide. Our portfolio of sparkling soft drink brands includes Coca‑Cola, Sprite and Fanta. Our water, sports, coffee and tea brands include Dasani, smartwater, vitaminwater, Topo Chico, BODYARMOR, Powerade, Costa, Georgia, Gold Peak and Ayataka. Our juice, value-added dairy and plant-based beverage brands include Minute Maid, Simply, innocent, Del Valle, fairlife and AdeS. We’re constantly transforming our portfolio, from reducing sugar in our drinks to bringing innovative new products to market. We seek to positively impact people’s lives, communities and the planet through water replenishment, packaging recycling, sustainable sourcing practices and carbon emissions reductions across our value chain. Together with our bottling partners, we employ more than 700,000 people, helping bring economic opportunity to local communities worldwide. Learn more at www.coca-colacompany.com and follow us on Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn.
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