Special Olympics began in 1968 as a single event with a few hundred athletes. Today, it is a global movement that provides year-round sports training and athletic competition for people with intellectual disabilities, creating opportunities to develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage, enhance representation and spark joy.

The Coca‑Cola Company has been part of this journey from the beginning, helping to support and grow the movement as the Founding Partner since 1968.

“What's really special about this partnership is that Coca‑Cola has been with us since our inception,” said Shira Mitchell, Senior Vice President of Development at Special Olympics. “It's been much more than a sponsorship. Coca‑Cola’s contribution to our organization is priceless.”

At a time when Special Olympics was just taking shape, The Coca‑Cola Company believed in the movement. This involvement lent valuable credibility, visibility and long-term support that the movement needed to grow. 

Since that time, Coca‑Cola's commitment has evolved beyond financial support to include employee volunteerism, awareness-driving marketing initiatives, local bottler engagement and support for Special Olympics competitions around the world. Coca‑Cola's people, platforms and global reach have helped elevate athletes and expand Special Olympics’ impact.

Kym Jordan, Vice President of Global Corporate Engagement at Special Olympics, describes the longevity of the relationship as having allowed the two organizations to “weave our missions into each other’s fabric.” Both organizations are united by a shared commitment to creating opportunities, strengthening communities and creating moments of joy. Special Olympics’ ambition of creating an accepting world is naturally complemented by the Coca‑Cola purpose of refreshing the world and making a difference. 

For Special Olympics, sport is so much more than athletic competition.

“Sport really is the catalyst to break down stigmas and stereotypes,” Kym said. “When you're playing together and working together, it showcases everyone's abilities.”

By competing, training and building relationships alongside others, athletes are seen for their strengths rather than their differences. That shift helps open doors to leadership opportunities, skills development and greater community participation. Over the years, support from The Coca‑Cola Company has helped Special Olympics expand athlete leadership, wellness programming and community initiatives, creating more opportunities for athletes to be seen, supported and celebrated both on and off the field of play. Together, these organizations challenge the narrative that individuals with disabilities are defined by their limitations – a misconception that Shira notes, is often adopted at an early age.

Both leaders pointed to The Coca‑Cola Company’s role in elevating athletes through major campaigns and global moments. For example, Daniel Smrokowski, a Special Olympics athlete leader and podcaster, joined Team Coca‑Cola during the 2024 Paris Olympics campaign. Daniel participated alongside Olympic and Paralympic athletes in photoshoots, social content and other brand activations. By featuring Special Olympics athletes alongside Olympians and Paralympians, Coca‑Cola helps showcase the limitless potential of people with intellectual disabilities on a global stage and ensures that athletes of all abilities see themselves represented. 

The partnership has also fostered opportunities to showcase diverse talents beyond athletic competition. Ahead of the 2015 Special Olympics World Summer Games in Los Angeles, Coca‑Cola collaborated with artists with and without intellectual disabilities to record the unified anthem, "Reach Up," which was performed during the Opening Ceremony. The campaign invited people to celebrate acceptance and support the movement, using Coca‑Cola's marketing platforms to amplify athletes' voices and raise awareness of Special Olympics.

Kym noted that the authentic integration of Special Olympics athletes into Coca‑Cola campaigns reinforces that they belong on the same stage as other elite athletes. That visibility helps challenge perceptions while allowing people with intellectual disabilities around the world to see themselves reflected in global campaigns, reinforcing that they, too, belong on the world's biggest stages.

Looking ahead, the partnership continues to build momentum. Recently extended through 2031, the longest renewal in the partnership's history, The Coca‑Cola Company and Special Olympics are continuing their shared commitment to create opportunities for athletes while helping them be seen, celebrated and supported. That next chapter includes Coca‑Cola's role as a Main Sponsor of the Special Olympics World Games Santiago 2027 and an Official Partner of both the Special Olympics World Winter Games Switzerland 2029 and of the Special Olympics USA Games 2030, helping create meaningful connections with fans, guests and participants through on-site activations and engagement opportunities.
 

The Coca‑Cola Company is proud to support organizations like Special Olympics that help communities thrive as part of its broader commitment to advancing progress and possibility across the U.S. In one year alone, the Coca‑Cola system contributes $177 million in community initiatives together with The Coca‑Cola Foundation and the Coca‑Cola Scholars Foundation.