Former Mayor Bob Harbicht and the Host Town Arcadia committee of about 20 volunteers have set a schedule of activities for the nearly 100 Special Olympics World Games athletes and mentors from island countries of Trinidad-Tobago and the eastern Europe country of Kyrgyz Republic (Kyrgyzstan).
The delegations will spend three nights in Arcadia from July 21 – July 24 as they acclimate and train before two weeks of competition in Los Angeles. During their stay they will enjoy tours of Wilderness Park, the police station, Westfield Santa Anita mall, the Arboretum, and enjoy one of the cities weekly free summer concerts, where they will be treated to the playing of their national anthems by a Caribbean steel drum band. Lunches and dinners are being coordinated and paid for by local restaurants and donors as noted below. Three local hotels — Embassy Suites Arcadia, Hilton Garden Inn, and Santa Anita Inn — are offering greatly discounted room rates and free daily breakfasts and WiFi service to accommodate all 100 guests all three nights.
The following schedule was updated July 9 — changes may take place as needed:
Tuesday, July 21
Afternoon to early evening: Athletes/coaches will be transported to the three hotels in Arcadia by Special Olympics transportation. (Those arriving early afternoon prior to hotel check-in time will assemble in conference room of Hilton, where board games will be available along with pizzas, sandwiches, and chicken wings provided by Monrovia Pizza Co., plus 20 cases of sodas donated by Coca-Cola, and six cases of Snapple.)
Two Girl Scouts and an adult with the Girl Scouts will greet them at the hotels with goodie bags. Additional adult volunteers will be at each hotel to meet buses and offer information and answer questions: six at Hilton Garden Inn (HGI), nine at Santa Anita Inn (SAI), four at Embassy Suites Arcadia (ES).
Wednesday, July 22
8 a.m.: Breakfast at each hotel. Four volunteers at each hotel will greet them and help them board buses.
9 a.m.: Two Arcadia School District buses will pick up delegation to take them to Arcadia High School athletic field. 14 greeter volunteers to welcome them, provide water, and take care of any other needs.
9:30 a.m.: Arcadia High School marching band, cheerleaders, students, and staff welcome athletes. Warm-ups and workouts at the track, gym, as well as the first swim in the refurbished pool at the new aquatic center.
11 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.: Arcadia School District bus picks up delegation to be transported to Wilderness Park. 10 lunch volunteers will help with the tour and moving delegates through the park.
12 noon – 1:30 p.m.: Half the group will take a guided tour of Wilderness Park and half will have lunch coordinated by Former Mayor George Fasching of Fasching’s Car Wash until approximately 12:45, then each will switch. Ten lunch volunteers will help with the tour and moving delegates through the park. Lunch paid for by the Arcadia Rotary Club is to be an old-fashioned traditional American lunch: hot dogs, potato salad, baked beans, chips and apple pie.
1:30 p.m.: Arcadia School District buses to Arcadia Police Station. Volunteers will be waiting at the police station to greet the delegation and show them into the station.
2 p.m.: Greeting and welcome by Arcadia Police Chief Robert Guthrie, and a guided tour of the police station, including jail, evidence room, shooting range, etc.
3 p.m.: Delegates escorted by volunteers to City Hall lawn for the Law Enforcement Torch Run Final Leg – athletes and hundreds of law enforcement personnel champion acceptance and inclusion as they carry the “Flame of Hope” 1,500 miles and through 200 Southern California communities on the way to the Opening Ceremony of the Special Olympics World Games, where the torch lights the cauldron to symbolize the start of the Games on Saturday, July 25.
3:30 p.m.: Transportation by Arcadia School District bus back to hotels. Two – five volunteers at each hotels to greet them.
4 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.: Rest time
5:30 p.m.: Walk with volunteers to Matt Denny’s Ale House for dinner (those staying at Santa Anita Inn will be transported by Arcadia School District buses).
6 p.m.: Gala Dinner provided courtesy of Matt Denny’s Ale House, including Mayor, Council Members, Board of Education, and other dignitaries to meet and greet the delegation in 15-20-minute program beginning with national anthem sung by 10 year-old Chelsea Chiu, followed by national anthems of Trinidad and Tobago and the Kyrgyz Republic by DJ Sylvester Kemie of Arcadia. Volunteers will assist.
8 p.m.: Return to hotels (Arcadia School District bus to Santa Anita Inn), accompanied by volunteers.
Thursday, July 23
8 a.m.: Breakfast at each hotel. Four volunteers at each hotel will greet them and help them board buses.
9 a.m.: Two Arcadia School District buses will pick up delegation to take them to Arcadia High School athletic field. Volunteers to help with boarding.
9:30 a.m.: Warm-ups and workouts at the track, gym, as well as the first swim in the refurbished pool at the new aquatic center. Nine student volunteers from Arcadia’s Best’s Arcadia Civic Youth Council plus some adult volunteers.
11 a.m.: Lunch donated by In ‘N Out ($1,300 value) – food truck at high school, with help from volunteers.
12:30 p.m.: Transportation by Arcadia School District bus to Westfield Santa Anita mall, with volunteers.
1 p.m.: Enter Westfield Santa Anita mall at center court near Forever 21 with help of volunteers. General Manager Ramon Oseguera to greet and welcome along with message from Bob Harbicht. Gift bags given to each delegate with goodies from mall merchants and commemorative pin. Delegates divided into groups of 10 plus three volunteers with each group to explore mall.
2:30 p.m.: Arcadia School District bus to the Arboretum.
3 p.m.: L.A. County Arboretum visit and tour, led by Arboretum volunteers director Nancy Carlton, and accompanied by volunteers from Committee and Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Again, delegates divided into groups of 10.
4 p.m. – 5:15 p.m.: Arcadia School District bus to hotels for a short rest period, with help from volunteers.
5:15 p.m.: Walk to City Hall, accompanied by volunteers (Arcadia School District bus for those at Embassy Suites and Hilton). Welcome by City Hall volunteers.
6 p.m.: “Concert in the Park” and special buffet dinner served in police station provided by Arcadia Chinese Association and enjoyed on City Hall lawn. Volunteers 14 from The Woman’s Club, about a dozen Girl Scouts, and about ten others. Welcome greetings by Mayor Gary Kovacic, comments by Bob Harbicht.
6:30 p.m. – 8 p.m.: Live music by “Upstream,” a Caribbean steel drum band.
8 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.: Return to hotels via School District buses and walking, accompanied by volunteers.
Friday, July 24
8 a.m. – 9 a.m.: Breakfast at each hotel. Volunteers will be at each hotel – after breakfast the delegation will pack their belongings and wait for the bus from Special Olympics to take them to the next stop.
The World Games Opening Ceremony is on July 25 at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Arcadia is one of 100 communities in the southern half of California that will be hosting about 10,000 athletes and coaches from 170 countries involved with the World Games.
Last month The Derby donated $2,000 in proceeds from all meals at lunch and dinner on a day designated as a fundraiser to the effort being coordinated by a committee of about 20 volunteers from the City of Arcadia, the Arcadia School District, the Arcadia Chamber of Commerce, and many other groups. Earlier, a similar fundraiser was held at BJ’s Restaurant, which yielded $750. The Arcadia Rotary Club Foundation donated $10,000 and Methodist Hospital contributed $5,000 in cash. Combined with more than a dozen other cash donations from groups and individuals ranging from $40 – $500, more than $24,000 has been raised.
Shirts created and donated by Stubbies Promotions for visiting athletes.
The three Arcadia hotels — Embassy Suites Arcadia, Hilton Garden Inn, and Santa Anita Inn — are saving the committee more than $13,000 in discounted rooms and free breakfast for the athletes and mentors. Foothill Credit Union has donated $1,500 to the cause, while Janet and Dick Van Kirk contributed $1,000. Denram printing donated all the printing services at no charge, as did Dolphin Rents for furniture rentals. Junior Girl Scouts Troop 5801, with the assistance of Art & Sue Narvesky and volunteers coordinator Denise Weaver are providing gift bags and souvenirs for each of the delegates. Among the souvenirs for athletes will be red Arcadia T-shirts donated by Stubbies Promotions (at left). The Arcadia Woman’s Club is donating the cost for 150 volunteer blue T-Shirts (above right), opening up their historic facility on First Avenue for sign painting and actively serving in key positions to help with the volunteer organization and training.
— By Scott Hettrick with schedule provided by Bob Harbicht