STUDIO CITY—Studio City, along with a 100 other Southern Californian Communities, has begun welcoming Special Olympics delegates.

This year, Studio City is a host for the Special Olympics games that will be held in Los Angeles. The city was designated as a host a few months ago and was thrilled to receive the honor. Esther Walker, executive director of the Studio City Chamber of Commerce, the organizer of Host Town Studio City,  said about Studio City’s role in the games, “We are thrilled to be a Host Town. It [gives] us an opportunity to showcase our great city while recognizing and honoring the extraordinary athletes and coaches who make up the heart and soul of the Special Olympics World Games”

The city is hosting delegates from Cuba and the Czech Republic. They are providing them with transportation, meals and housing while holding events for them. The city held fundraisers to gain funds for such provisions. They got donations from many local business, with everyone from local galleries to dentist offices stepping in to help out.

On Wednesday, July 22, the city held the “An Evening With Superheroes” event at the CBS Studio Center. Athletes were introduced to locals, treated to foods from local restaurants and farmers markets and entertained by Batman, Superman and Wonderwoman. There was also a live band performance.

The city held a community BBQ at Harvard-Westlake School to welcome the athletes on Thursday, July 23.

There are approximately 30,000 volunteers helping Studio City to ensure all athletes feel welcomed throughout their stay. Athlete Alonzo Rodriguez-Diaz, who had never ventured beyond Cuba until coming to Los Angeles for the games, told CBS Los Angeles about his experience in Studio City. He said, “Everything is pretty here, people have made us feel welcome.”

The games will be held in Los Angeles Coliseum on July 25th and will be covered by the sports channel, ESPN. Its opening ceremony will feature appearances by Michelle Obama, Cody Simpson and Avril Lavigne. More information about the opening ceremony can be found on the LA Special Olympics official site here.