One of the world’s most recognizable brands has joined the team of The World Games 2022 (TWG2022). Birmingham’s Coca-Cola Bottling Company United, among the largest privately held Coca-Cola bottlers in North America, will be the presenting sponsor of TWG2022’s closing ceremony on July 17, 2022, at Protective Stadium.
TWG2022, an international event organized with the support of the International Olympic Committee, will hold its 11th edition in Birmingham July 7-17, 2022. An anticipated 3,600 athletes will participate in more than 30 sports.
The closing ceremonies presented by Coca-Cola United will feature performances by several popular musical artists, including Bootsy Collins, country music supergroup Alabama, the Blind Boys of Alabama, Jamey Johnson, Chuck Leavell, Pastor Mike Jr., Ruben Studdard, Taylor Hicks, Bo Bice and Worth the Wait.
Both the opening and closing ceremonies will feature the 75-piece World Games Orchestra and The World Games Youth Choir directed by Henry Panion, artistic director of TWG2022 and professor at UAB.
“It’s a huge deal for us to have a company like Coca-Cola United on board,” TWG2022 CEO Nick Sellers said. “They are one of the cornerstone companies of the Birmingham community and, as a presenting sponsor, they’re going to take our closing ceremony to a new level. We couldn’t be happier to be working with them.”
The World Games & Coca Cola United Announcement Video from Alabama NewsCenter on Vimeo.
Founded in 1902 in Birmingham and headquartered in the Magic City, Coca-Cola United is the third-largest bottler of Coca-Cola products in the United States and employs approximately 10,000 people across its six-state footprint of Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi and Tennessee.
Coca-Cola United President and CEO John Sherman said the company looks forward to representing the Birmingham community as part of TWG2022.
“The World Games is a once-in-a-lifetime event for the city of Birmingham,” he said. “The closing ceremony will be a celebration of 10 of the best days in the history of our community, and we are proud to join in the festivities and lend our support to an event that puts Birmingham front and center.”
The Games will welcome athletes from more than 100 countries to compete for gold in 34 multidisciplinary sports. Competition will take place in more than 25 venues around the Birmingham area.
TWG2022 marks the 40th anniversary of the global event and will generate an estimated $256 million in economic impact for Alabama. For more information, visit TWG2022.com or find The World Games 2022 on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.
(Courtesy of Alabama NewsCenter)
