COCA-COLA SUPPORTS THE XXXV SPECIAL OLYMPICS NATIONAL WINTER GAMES

Through financial contributions, volunteer and awareness-raising initiatives, Coca-Cola has supported Special Olympics programs and events around the world over the years, with the aim of creating greater awareness and contributing to creating positive change, celebrating uniqueness and valuing diversity.

Sestriere (TO), 5 March 2024 - Coca-Cola supports Special Olympics for the XXXV National Winter Games scheduled until Saturday 8 March 2024 in some municipalities in the province of Turin and Cuneo, in the Olympic sites of Sestriere, Pragelato, Entracque and Borgo San Dalmazzo.

The partnership between Coca-Cola and Special Olympics, of which the Company has been a founding member and global sponsor since 1968, the year in which the first Special Olympics Games were held, has lasted for over 50 years and aims to promote sport as a tool capable of uniting people and transforming their lives. A bond that is based on the importance of values such as diversity and inclusion, which have always been part of Coca-Cola's DNA and can be a lever for positive change and new opportunities. promoting positive models and conveying an important message: the possibility, for everyone, to achieve great goals.

Through financial contributions, volunteer and awareness-raising initiatives, Coca-Cola has supported Special Olympics programs and events around the world over the years, with the aim of creating greater awareness and contributing to creating positive change, celebrating uniqueness and valuing diversity.

"We are proud to share the commitment of Special Olympics and to make our contribution to the holding of the Winter Games, also through the participation of Coca-Cola volunteers who are taking part in the event again this year. The event represents a unique opportunity to promote sport as a means of bringing people together and allows us to support Special Olympics athletes , who are a continuous source of inspiration for those who have the privilege of being by their side," said Cristina Camilli, Director of Institutional Relations, Communication and Sustainability of Coca-Cola Italia.

In Italy Coca-Cola has been supporting Special Olympics for over 25 years, also through volunteering and the availability of its employees, supporting the organization in the various operations necessary for the event to take place. This year about 50 Coca-Cola employees contribute to the realization of the National Winter Games, which involve a total of over 500 athletes with and without intellectual disabilities, from all over Italy, supported by some foreign delegations (Austria, Germany, Latvia and Hungary). In particular, the Company supports athletes and their families during the exciting competitions of Alpine Skiing, Snowboarding and Snowshoeing, scheduled respectively in the Olympic sites of Sestriere (TO) and Entracque (CN). All competitions are held following the principles of Special Olympics, providing unified sport activities with the simultaneous presence of players with and without disabilities. On the occasion of the Special Olympics National Winter Games, a Health Area is also set up totally dedicated to physical well-being and prevention, where health specialists offer free professional screenings to athletes.

"The National Winter Games represent a precious opportunity for knowledge, comparison and personal growth for everyone; They trace a human path that goes beyond sport and competitions: bringing people closer together. On behalf of Special Olympics Italy, I thank Coca-Cola for accompanying us in this ambitious cultural revolution" – said Alessandra Palazzotti, National Director of Special Olympics Italy.

For the XXXV edition of the National Winter Games, Mercatò, a brand with about 100 stores between Piedmont and Liguria (mymercato.it), has also collaborated with Coca-Cola in supporting Special Olympics with the aim of raising consumer awareness of the importance of inclusion and supporting the athletes participating in this extraordinary sporting event.

Coca-Cola wanted to raise awareness and promote the event also in the world of out-of-home, in particular, over 200 points of sale were involved in the areas that host the Special Olympics Athletes: Sestriere, Entracque, Pragelato, Borgo San Dalmazzo, and Turin, to enhance sport as a means to unite people and break down barriers.

In anticipation of the World Winter Games to be held in Turin in 2025, Coca-Cola is proud to once again support Special Olympics and support the athletes who will participate in the National Games, which are much more than just an event but a celebration of the inclusive power of sport and its ability to break down barriers.