Toyota and Special Olympics expand partnership to Europe

Summary

Toyota Motor Europe and Special Olympics announce new three-year partnership from 2020
Toyota will combine with the world’s largest sports organisation for children and adults with intellectual and physical disabilities to provide support for thousands of sport events across Europe and Eurasia
Special Olympics athletes’ goal will be supported by Toyota’s ‘Start Your Impossible’ actions

Brussels, Belgium – 22^nd November, 2019 – Toyota Motor Europe and Special Olympics Europe Eurasia have announced a three year partnership, starting in 2020, to support Special Olympics grass-roots inclusive programming and sporting events across the region.

Special Olympics is a global movement for inclusion of children and adults with intellectual disabilities. Its aim is to create inclusive communities around the world, where every person is accepted and welcomed, regardless of ability. With over six million athletes and Unified partners across over 190 countries, the organisation is supported by over one million coaches and volunteers. In Europe-Eurasia, it covers 58 countries and has over 500,000 participating athletes.

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Our partnership with the Special Olympics represents an opportunity to extend the Start Your Impossible story which we have already begun with the Olympics and Paralympics movements. Toyota believes that mobility goes beyond cars; it is about overcoming challenges and making dreams come true. In this spirit our mission to provide freedom of movement for everyone is consistent with the Special Olympics own goals of creating a society based on inclusion and community. On a practical level, our employees and the dealer network are invited to volunteer and support the athletes across the region, and I am proud that this has already started.

Dr Johan van Zyl, President & CEO of Toyota Motor Europe

Special Olympics is honoured to sign this milestone agreement with Toyota Motor Europe to deepen our impact on inclusion through sport. Together, we will amplify the voices of Special Olympics athletes to highlight the urgency of social inclusion worldwide. This partnership will increase access to Unified Sports, opening the door for more children and adults of all abilities to experience the inclusive power of sport, and the unity it creates both on and off the field of play. We look forward to closely collaborating with Toyota Motor Europe to expand this transformative partnership already underway in Japan and the United States. We extend our deep gratitude to the Toyota family and look forward to the exciting future ahead.

David Evangelista, President & Managing Director, Special Olympics Europe Eurasia

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