Coke Partners for Unity Cup

Special Olympics athletes, playing alongside football legends and other celebrities, will compete in the inaugural match of the "Unity Cup" presented by Coca-Cola, on the same pitch that just hours later will host a FIFA World Cup match. The Coca-Cola Company, in partnership with Special Olympics, today announced details of the event which will take place at Green Point Stadium in Cape Town, South Africa, on July 3, prior to a quarterfinal match of the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

"We have a long and unique association with sport, especially football, and have witnessed over the decades how it can unite people," says Muhtar Kent, chairman and chief executive officer, The Coca-Cola Company and a member of the Special Olympics International Board of Directors. "The Unity Cup is a testament to that power as we have brought together our partners at Special Olympics and FIFA to shine a spotlight on the important values of understanding, acceptance and inclusion that we all share."

The goal of the Unity Cup is to support the movement of inclusion and acceptance for people with intellectual disabilities and is an extension of the Special Olympics Unified Sports program. The Unified Sports program brings Special Olympic athletes together with partners without intellectual disabilities on teams for friendly athletic competition. Participants in the Unity Cup will include South African President Jacob Zuma, former South African national team captain Lucas Radebe, former captain of South Africa's national women's football team Desiree Ellis, and Clarence Seedorf of A.C. Milan.