Special Olympics Taps ReverbNation to Deliver Bands for Epic 129-city Tour Leading Up to the Special Olympics 2015 World Games

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Apr 14, 2015, 11:05 ET

WASHINGTON and DURHAM, N.C., April 14, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Special Olympics announced today that it is working with ReverbNation to select bands to perform at nearly 130 events across the United States as part of the Special Olympics Unified Relay Across America presented by Bank of America, leading up to the Special Olympics World Summer Games, which begins in Los Angeles on July 25, 2015.

The Unified Relay, presented by Bank of America, will span 46 days, from May 26 to July 10, in the first-known torch relay to cross all 50 states. More than 20,000 participants will run, walk or bike a segment of the relay in this team and individual fundraising event, carrying the Special Olympics Flame of Hope across the country and helping to deliver it to Los Angeles for the Special Olympics World Games. The Unified Relay will include three simultaneous routes hitting all 50 states and will be led by celebrity and Special Olympics athlete co-captains and supported by law enforcement officers. Everything kicks off on May 26^th when participants begin their journey in three cities: Augusta, Maine; Miami, Florida and Washington, D.C. Traveling west, torchbearers will be met each evening with a celebration that includes local Special Olympics athletes, city officials and entertainment by a ReverbNation artist. A complete list of dates and cities can be found HERE.

"ReverbNation has the access to great bands and the capability to help us program this many events," said Peter Wheeler, Chief of Strategic Properties for Special Olympics. "We are excited to be teaming up with them on our first-ever Unified Relay Across America to provide each evening's entertainment in cities across America as we bring people together with this transformative event."

Thousands of ReverbNation bands have already submitted their music for consideration for this exciting event. Bands are encouraged to submit until April 24^th when the submission window closes (the link to submit can be found HERE). ReverbNation will leverage its curation-at-scale capability to select the bands to play for Special Olympics crowds in cities from Alexandria, VA to Wichita, KS, to Los Angeles, CA.

"Over the last year we have worked very hard to build a curation-at-scale platform that can match the right bands with the right audience for the right experience," said Mike Doernberg, Founder and CEO of ReverbNation. "We are impressed with both the quantity and quality of the submissions we have received so far from great local bands all over the country. Serving an important event such as the Special Olympics Unified Relay Across America confirms our belief in the growing importance of music across everyday experiences and our ability to connect artists to these opportunities."

Since its formation, ReverbNation has helped tens of thousands of artists, many of whom have gone on to achieve great success. Imagine Dragons, Alabama Shakes, Kacey Musgraves, Mac Miller, A$AP Rocky and Hunter Hayes, to name just a few, have used ReverbNation's platform to help establish themselves and grow their careers.

The Torch Arrival Ceremony on each tour stop will commence at approximately 5:30 p.m., depending on the arrival of the torch. For more information please visit www.unifiedrelay.org.

About Special Olympics
Special Olympics is a global movement that unleashes the human spirit through the transformative power and joy of sports, every day around the world. We empower people with intellectual disabilities to become accepted and valued members of their communities, which leads to a more respectful and inclusive society for all. Using sports as the catalyst and programming around health and education, Special Olympics is fighting inactivity, injustice and intolerance. Founded in 1968 by Eunice Kennedy Shriver, the Special Olympics movement has grown to more than 4.4 million athletes in 170 countries. With the support of more than 1.3 million coaches and volunteers, Special Olympics delivers 32 Olympic-type sports and more than 81,000 games and competitions throughout the year. Special Olympics is supported by individuals, foundations and partners, including the Christmas Records Trust, the Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics®, The Coca-Cola Company, The Walt Disney Company and ESPN, Lions Clubs International, Mattel, Microsoft, P&G, Bank of America, Essilor Vision Foundation, the B. Thomas Golisano Foundation, Finish Line, The Safeway Foundation, and Safilo Group. Visit Special Olympics at www.specialolympics.org. Engage with us on: Twitter @specialolympics; fb.com/specialolympics; youtube.com/specialolympicshq; instagram.com/specialolympics and specialolympicsblog.wordpress.com.

About the Special Olympics World Games Los Angeles 2015
With 7,000 athletes and 3,000 coaches representing 177 countries, along with 30,000 volunteers and an anticipated 500,000 spectators, the 2015 Special Olympics World Games - being staged in Los Angeles July 25 - August 2, 2015 - will be the largest sports and humanitarian event anywhere in the world in 2015, and the single biggest event in Los Angeles since the 1984 Olympic Games. The 2015 Special Olympics World Games, with the unparalleled spirit, enthusiasm, teamwork, joy and displays of courage and skill that are hallmarks of all Special Olympics events, will feature 25 Olympic-style sports in venues throughout the Los Angeles region. The Opening Ceremony, to be held July 25, 2015 in the historic Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, site of the 1932 and 1984 Olympic Games, is expected to attract 80,000 spectators. For more information on the 2015 Special Olympics World Games, including volunteer and sponsorship opportunities, visit www.LA2015.org and on social with #ReachUpLA on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

About ReverbNation
Independent Artists turn to ReverbNation for music industry connections, worldwide audience exposure and the powerful promotional tools necessary to advance their careers in today's digital music ecosystem. Driven by its mission to put Artists First, the company has grown since its 2006 launch to serve nearly 4 million musicians worldwide. In 2014 ReverbNation developed its proprietary curation-at-scale methodology to identify the world's most promising Artists early in their careers. This capability, coupled with its global audience, allows ReverbNation to bring the world's best emerging Artists unrivaled access to opportunity. For more information, visit ReverbNation.com and follow ReverbNation on Twitter at Twitter.com/ReverbNation.

SOURCE Special Olympics