'Flame of Hope' for 2007 Special Olympics World Summer Games Lit in Athens, Greece, Launching First Global Torch Run

'Flame of Hope' for 2007 Special Olympics World Summer Games Lit in Athens, Greece, Launching First Global Torch Run

July 03, 2007

Ceremony at sacred site near Acropolis marks official
beginning of Global Law Enforcement Torch Run(R) to
Shanghai, sponsored and supported by DHL


    ATHENS, Greece, July 2 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- In a
ceremony honoring the spirit of the Special Olympics
movement and the courage of its athletes, the "Flame
of Hope" for the 2007 Special Olympics World Summer
Games was lit today in Athens, Greece, officially launching
the Global Law Enforcement Torch Run. Carried by a team of
Special Olympics athletes and law enforcement officers
through the streets of Athens, the torch now departs Greece
to begin its global journey to the site of the World Games
in Shanghai, China, supported by the expertise of Global
Torch Run sponsor DHL, the world's leading express delivery
and logistics company.

    The Global Law Enforcement Torch Run will be a pivotal
event in the lead- up to the 2007 Special Olympics World
Summer Games. While the Torch Run has been a Special
Olympics tradition for more than 25 years, this marks the
first time the "Flame of Hope" has traveled the
globe in a single event. Transported via DHL's global
logistics network and then carried by torch on the ground
by teams of athletes and law enforcement personnel from
around the world, the flame will travel more than 35,000
kilometers (22,000 miles), touching down on five continents
over the next three months before arriving in Shanghai,
where it will ignite the cauldron at the Opening Ceremony
of the 2007 World Games on 2 October.

    The flame itself was lit just after 11 a.m. local time
this morning (4 a.m. ET in North America) using the rays of
the sun at the sacred site of Pnyx, located across from the
Acropolis, in a ceremony hosted by Special Olympics Greece
and attended by Anna Benaki-Psarouda, President of the
Greek Parliament, Special Olympics International Chairman
Timothy P. Shriver, Natasa Karamanlis, wife of the Prime
Minister of Greece, DHL Express Asia Pacific Acting CEO Dan
McHugh, Coca-Cola President and Chief Operating Officer
Muhtar Kent, senior representatives of the 2007 Games
Organizing Committee, government and diplomatic officials
from China and Greece, law enforcement officers, and
Special Olympics athletes and their supporters.

    The flame will next make its way to Egypt, where
welcoming ceremonies and Torch Run celebrations will take
place in Alexandria and Cairo. Other stops on the route
will include London, Washington D.C., and a dozen cities
throughout China as well as the 19 districts of Shanghai.

    "The Special Olympics movement provides a unique
global platform for acceptance and inclusion, and the Flame
of Hope's journey around the world is symbolic of our
mission to not only give new hope to Special Olympics
athletes and their families, but also to break down
barriers and create awareness for social change around the
world," said Shriver. "We are pleased to be
partnering with DHL to help us honor our athletes for their
tremendous courage and commitment -- on the field of play
and in every aspect of their lives. We are also extremely
appreciative for the continued commitment and support by
the international law enforcement community on behalf of
the Torch Run."
    
    "DHL's sponsorship endorses Special Olympics as a
catalyst for social change by promoting fair opportunities
and supporting diversity, which is part of our corporate
values," said McHugh. "We hope to reinforce the
spirit of determination, mental endurance and physical
stamina among individuals, including our staff. Just as
Special Olympics athletes triumph over all obstacles to
compete on this world stage, DHL is committed to overcome
logistics challenges to move the flame around the globe,
sharing the vision of hope with the Special Olympics
athletes."

    The 2007 Special Olympics World Summer Games in
Shanghai will host almost 7,500 athletes with intellectual
disabilities from more than 160 countries. The Law
Enforcement Torch Run is Special Olympics' largest
grass-roots fundraiser and public awareness vehicle,
involving more than 85,000 law enforcement officials around
the world.

    Following the 2007 World Games, the "Flame of
Hope" will reside at a DHL facility as a tribute to
Special Olympics. DHL will also sponsor the Global Torch
Run in 2009, when the "Flame of Hope" will again
be lit in Athens and transported by DHL to the 2009 Special
Olympics World Winter Games in Boise, Idaho, USA.

    The Olympic torch was lit in Athens for the first time
in 1896, and today continues to serve as a symbol of
strength and determination for athletes from around the
world. Special Olympics recently announced its 2011 World
Summer Games will be held in Athens.

    About Special Olympics

    Special Olympics is an international nonprofit
organization dedicated to empowering individuals with
intellectual disabilities to become physically fit,
productive and respected members of society through sports
training and competition. Founded in 1968 by Eunice Kennedy
Shriver, Special Olympics provides year-round sports
training and competition to 2.5 million adults and children
with intellectual disabilities across 165 countries. The
Special Olympics movement offers one of the world's
greatest platforms for acceptance and inclusion for all
people -- regardless of race, religion, ethnicity or
cultural differences. Find out how you can become involved
at http://www.specialolympics.org .

    About DHL

    DHL is the global market leader of the international
express and logistics industry, specializing in providing
innovative and customized solutions from a single source.
DHL offers expertise in express, air and ocean freight,
overland transport, contract logistic solutions as well as
international mail services, combined with worldwide
coverage and an in-depth understanding of local markets.
DHL's international network links more than 220 countries
and territories worldwide. 285,000 employees are dedicated
to providing fast and reliable services that exceed
customers' expectations. DHL is a Deutsche Post World Net
brand. The group generated revenues of more than euro 60
billion in 2006. For the latest news and happenings about
DHL in Asia Pacific, please visit http://press.ap.dhl.com
.

    About the Law Enforcement Torch Run

    The Law Enforcement Torch Run has been a Special
Olympics tradition for more than 25 years. It began in 1981
when Wichita, Kansas, Police Chief Richard LaMunyon saw a
need to raise funds and increase awareness for the
organization, and conceived the Torch Run as a way to
involve local law enforcement personnel in the community
and to support Special Olympics Kansas. The program was
later adopted by the International Association of Chiefs of
Police and under their support and leadership has expanded
into all 50 U.S. states and to 35 nations. The Law
Enforcement Torch Run is Special Olympics' largest
grass-roots fundraiser and public awareness vehicle; more
than 85,000 law enforcement officers from around the world
volunteer for the movement.

    NOTE TO EDITORS:  

    RECEIVE B-Roll VIDEO OF THIS EVENT BY SATELLITE C-BAND;
FRIDAY, JUNE 29, 2007; 2:00 PM - 2:15 PM EDT (11:00 AM -
11:15 AM PDT); G-26 T- 17, D/L Freq:  4040 V 93 degrees WL;
SATURDAY, JUNE 30, 2007; 4:00 AM - 4:15 AM EDT (1:00 AM -
1:15 AM PDT); G-26 T- 17, D/L Freq:  4040 V 93 degrees WL


    For more information, please contact:

     Leslie Aun
     Special Olympics International
     Tel:   [phone]
     Email: [e-mail]
     Web:   http://www.specialolympics.org
            http://press.ap.dhl.com