OREANDA-NEWS. UPS Airlines to Transport Flame of Hope™ from Greece to US; UPS volunteers and logistics expertise to assist in event execution.

UPS® (NYSE: UPS) announced today that it will serve as an official supplier to the Special Olympics World Games Los Angeles 2015 (LA2015). Designated a Games Supplier, UPS will donate its logistics expertise, warehousing and volunteers to help mobilize the Games that will see 7,000 athletes and 3,000 coaches visit Los Angeles from July 25-Aug. 2, 2015.

UPS Airlines will transport the Flame of Hope torch from Athens, Greece, to Washington, D.C. In addition to the flight crew, a UPS management pilot will escort the flame in four specially designed lanterns or "miners lamps," designed to keep the flame lit during the trans-Atlantic flight. UPS will deliver the lamps to Special Olympics in Washington, D.C., in time for the start of the Law Enforcement Torch Run race for Special Olympics.

The journey for the Flame of Hope torch will begin in Athens, Greece, aboard a UPS aircraft. The flame will make a stopover at the UPS hub at Cologne Bonn Airport before departing for the U.S. The UPS Airlines flight will land in Philadelphia on May 19 where the flame will be transferred to a UPS alternative fuel vehicle for a trip down I-95 to Washington, D.C. UPS will deliver the flame to Special Olympics later that day.

UPS will also use its unique logistics expertise to coordinate the receipt, inventory, staging and movement of small parcel and freight from multiple staging locations throughout Southern California to all L.A.-based Special Olympics World Games venues. The company will also donate 10,000 square-feet of warehouse space to provide storage for apparel and equipment throughout the week-long event. UPS volunteers will use the same inventory and tracking services UPS offers its customers around the world every day for fast and accurate retrieval of items for the World Games.

"We are excited to be part of the Special Olympic World Games," said Noel Massie, UPS president of the South California District. "We can't wait to support these inspiring athletes from around the world."

UPS's in-kind support includes:

- Coast-to-coast movement of ten vehicles for the Los Angeles Police Department and the Los Angeles County Sherriff's Department through UPS Autogistics for use in the Unified Relay Across America
- Three "loaned" executives, who are logistics and management experts responsible for designing, planning and executing the movement of cargo and sports equipment for roughly 10,000 athletes to 11 different venues throughout Los Angeles
- UPS drivers dedicated to expedite apparel and equipment transfer to multiple venues
- Private warehousing and fulfillment to store, track and retrieve apparel and game gear
- More than 300 UPS volunteers will donate 7,200 hours of hands-on support

According to organizers, the Special Olympics World Games will be the largest sports and humanitarian event anywhere in the world this year, and the single biggest event in Los Angeles since the 1984 Olympic Games.