POSTED: Saturday July 11th 2009
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Sochi 2014 celebrates International Paralympic Day

International Paralympic Day celebrations were held by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) in Berlin, Germany

Saturday 11 July 2009, Moscow, Russia – Sochi 2014 today took part in International Paralympic Day celebrations held by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) in Berlin, Germany.  To commemorate the occasion, the Sochi 2014 team attended the events at the Brandenburg Gate to see first-hand the inspiration and excitement experienced by Paralympic athletes.
 
The Sochi 2014 team also marked International Paralympic Day in Russia by staging the first in a series of Paralympic educational seminars. The inaugural seminar was attended by international experts, Sochi 2014 specialists and members of the Russian National Volunteer Team. The attendees examined ways to achieve a genuinely accessible Winter Games alongside trainees, some of whom have a disability.
 
Earlier this week, Sochi 2014 enabled children with disabilities to participate alongside children without disabilities in the Krasnodar Region’s annual children’s sport festival.
 
Sochi 2014’s commitment to Paralympism will be further demonstrated by International Paralympic Day in Russia in December 2009. This Sochi 2014-initiated event will mark the start of Sochi 2014’s Paralympic Awareness Program – aimed at promoting Paralympic values to help change attitudes towards disability. The decision to broadcast every Paralympic sport from the Sochi 2014 Winter Games across Russia is further evidence of the Organizing Committee’s determination to increase understanding of the issue.
 
To commemorate the occasion, Dmitry Chernyshenko, President and CEO of Sochi 2014, sent a letter in praise of the Paralympic Movement to Sir Philip Craven – President of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC).
 
Mr Chernyshenko wrote:
 
“I am personally determined that the Sochi 2014 Paralympic Winter Games will bring a lasting social and sporting legacy to more than 13 million people with disabilities in Russia. Therefore I can assure the worldwide Paralympic Movement that my team and I will mark this special day with a real sense of optimism.”
 
Mr Chernyshenko continued to outline the legacy of Russia’s first Paralympic Winter Games:
 
“Sochi 2014 is already undertaking several initiatives that will inspire an ever more accessible and inclusive society in Russia. Ultimately, the Sochi 2014 Paralympic Winter Games will establish a barrier-free environment at Games venues and within the entire urban infrastructure. This will ensure ‘end-to-end’ accessible services for each Games visitor and participant and will also provide a best practice legacy to inspire change in cities in Russia and around the world.”

Sochi 2014 is already making rapid progress towards hosting the Sochi 2014 Paralympic Games. Rosneft, one of the world’s leading oil companies, has invested $25 million to become the first Official Partner of the Sochi 2014 Paralympic Winter Games. This partnership already exceeds the commitments Sochi 2014 made for Paralympic sponsorship revenue in its Candidature File.

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Keywords · Sochi 2014 · Paralympics · International Paralympic Day

Name: Xenia Reizhevskaya
Organization: Sochi 2014
Email:
Phone: +7 (495) 984 2014
URL: http://www.sochi2014.com

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