Ventura County Lodging Association Hotels Host Special Olympic Delegations From 6 Countries

VENTURA, Calif. - June 22, 2015 - PRLog -- Hotel members of the Ventura County Lodging Association (VCLA) will host Special Olympic delegations from six countries while the athletes prepare to compete in the Special Olympics World Games in Los Angeles. The delegations will stay in VenturaCountyWest from July 21 through July 24.

         Between 90 and 100 Special Olympic athletes and coaches from Afghanistan, American Samoa, Kosovo, Paupa New Guinea, Samoa and Tonga will stay at seven hotels in Camarillo, Oxnard, Point Hueneme and Ventura. The hotels are donating rooms and meals. The cities of Camarillo and Oxnard are designated “Host Towns” for the World Games.

         Participating hotels are Four Points by Sheraton Ventura Harbor Resort, Ventura Beach Marriott, Holiday Inn Express Port Hueneme, Hampton Inn Channel Islands Harbor, Courtyard by Marriott Camarillo, Courtyard by Marriott Oxnard and Best Western Plus Oxnard Inn.

         While in VenturaCountyWest, the delegations will go to the beach and take in other local sites. “Because we have six different countries staying here, we have the opportunity for the athletes to learn about each other’s cultures,” says Mike Ramirez, recreation and human services coordinator for the City of Oxnard and co-chair of Oxnard’s Special Olympics Host Town planning committee with co-chair Renee Rakestraw. “Everyone will get together to share song and dance from their native countries.”

         “The Ventura County Lodging Association is honored to play a role in helping Special Olympic athletes from around the world have a memorable experience while in California,” says Rebekah Evans, VCLA executive director. “Lodging in the summer is usually at a premium in VenturaCountyWest, but when asked to set aside rooms for the delegations during peak vacation season, our members immediately said yes.”

         More than 7,000 athletes representing 177 countries will compete in 25 different sporting events during the games taking place July 25 through August 2. The Special Olympics World Games will be the biggest event in Los Angeles since it hosted the 1984 Summer Olympic Games. The athletes staying in VenturaCountyWest will compete in bocce ball, power lifting, track and field and soccer. Durham School Services will transport athletes and coaches to training facilities in Ventura County.

         “Having Oxnard as a Host Town was contingent on VCLA’s support and we got it right away,” says Ramirez. “Without the VCLA, this could not be possible.”

         All competitions are free and open to the public. For more information about the Special Olympics World Games, go to http://www.la2015.org/.

Ventura County Lodging Association (VCLA)

The Ventura County Lodging Association (VCLA) is comprised of lodging facilities and destination marketing organizations in the California cities of Camarillo, Oxnard, Port Hueneme and Ventura. VCLA represents 65 members including hotels, motels, bed & breakfasts and RV resorts. Its "VenturaCountyWest" marketing campaign is designed to attract overnight leisure and business visitors to the region. www.venturacountywest.com  www.facebook.com/venturacountywest