2015 ParaPan-European and Asia-Pacific Games opening ceremony

The opening ceremony of the 2015 ParaPan-European and Asia-Pacific Games took place at the Los Angeles Kortz Stadium in Forum, Los Angeles. It began at 20:15 to match the year. The opening ceremony's theme is No Disability, All Ability, the games' second motto.

One of the most expensive opening ceremony, Peter Jorgensen once again directed the opening ceremony. It combines the formula of its previous opening ceremony, and combined with the powers of disability and determined. It was broadcast by OBS, NBC, and IGBS.

While the reviews were not as acclaimed as the previous one, it got generally positive reviews, heightening its standards for an opening ceremony. The Games were opened and the cauldron was lit in this show.

Preparation
Several American musics were played, and rehearsals began 7 hours earlier. As the stadium is filled out, large video screens show the 30 minute countdown to the opening ceremony.

Countdown
After the countdown clock disappeared, lights went off, and giant video screens as well as the screen in the center, showed a clock ticking from 60 seconds. When it hits 16 the video screens went off, as well as the lights. Disabled volunteers began to show up and turned on the lights. Later on, the volunteers formed numbers, while the screen at the center showed the cities that have hosted the Games. Fireworks were burst outside the stadium.

Welcome to the world
Volunteers formed the American flag and also formed the words Welcome, in Paralympic Region 1's official languages (Bienvenue and Bienvenidos).

Introduction to the host city
Mayor John David introduced the city to the Games as he called the city "disability-friendly", while introducing new transportation modes and the masterplan for 2025.

Introduction of the Presidents of the United States and Paralympic Region 1
After the host city introduction, the Presidents, David Tingker (US) and Robert Hansen (Paralympic Region 1) were both introduced. The presidential salute was played.

The Welcome to the Flag
The flag was carried by the American Army, just as before, however, unlike the previous ones, this was carried by the army with disability, but was raised by the normal American Army. The Star-Spangled Banner was sung in English and the American Sign Language. The lighting paddle created the American flag.

Artistic segments (I)
An additional section was called Hello Paralympics to introduce people to the Paralympics. It was done before the Parade of Nations.

Wheelchair attractions
The wheelchair attractions commenced after the anthems, with athletes arching or skateboarding. There are also school kids who also attracted using the wheelchairs. This action also advocates the para-sporting program and, as said, all people have an ability.

The founding
The first artistic segment starts with the lights turning on and off, making a thunderstorm-like effect, while the giant screen in the center showed the sea. Later on, an actor with a wheelchair watched the TV about the Olympic Games told back 1896. The actor whispered,"'I wish I could go with them too...'"

To the real front
The American building companies built an extensive infrastructures for the 1st Disabled American Games in Los Angeles back in 1924, as the world-coming Paralympic Games hadn't come, yet. 210 athletes competed, the lowest for such a multi-sport event in the United States.

The Paralympics and the Future
The Paralympic Games were first introduced as the Stoke Mandeville Games in 1948. There were only 16 athletes at the time, and the United States wanted to participate. They finally participated in Rome, 1960. Giant video screens showed the timeline of the ParaPan and Paralympic Games editions.

Parade of Nations
Main article: 2015 ParaPan-European and Asia-Pacific Games Parade of Nations

The Parade of Nations commenced right after the artistic segments. As per tradition, Greece as the founder of the Olympic Games, entered first, and Mexico, which hosted the 1st ParaPan event, entered as the second nation. Other nations entered in English alphabetical order. And United States, as the host nation, entered last. David Kumar entered the stadium and sung Create Tomorrow's World, the Games' theme song.

For the second time, North and South Korea marched together as Unified Korea after the 2015 Pan.events, and were allowed to compete as unified team. Another notable change is that Russia was excluded from this edition's ParaPan Games due to allegations of the state-sponsored doping program.

Opening the Games
Michael Goodwin, the chairman of the LA2015 Organizing Committee, as well as Robert Hansen, the President of the Paralympic Region 1, read their respective speeches. After this, President David Tingker officially opened the Games in English, saying:"'On behalf of all great Americans, I declare open the 16th ParaPan-European and Asia-Pacific Games, Los Angeles, in the year 2015!'"- David Tingker, reciting the opening laurel.

School dances
School members were dancing together in the stadium, with spectacular fireworks burst from the inside of the stadium, as well as an addition of some para-students from special schools. Lighting paddles illuminate lights for the beats, and the screen at the center created illusions. There were fireworks and fuse in different colors.

The Eskimos
In response to the Eskimos' controversy, an additional segment called "the Eskimos". It tells the story of the Eskimos living on their own lives in the snowy mountains. In addition, to contemplate with the the theme of the ceremony, a para-Eskimo was also featured.

No Disability, All Ability
David Craig, a para-archer who was shown in a video, went to the stadium while there are some criticism to his day-to-day life. As criticisms grew more to his head, he became more frustrated, and his speed became much faster, until some minutes later he arrived at the stadium.

He was surprised that David Tingker came into the stadium, and took a part of an archer. Abdul Hamlad also took part. There was a word of "Disability", and they arched the alphabets DIS, which then exploded and the alphabets DIS fell off, and became ABILITY. Fireworks were burst in and out of the stadium. This shows that all humans have an ability.

Hold the Paralympic flag
The Paralympic flag and the Paralympic Region 1 flag were brought by representatives of the Disabilty of the World, a charity initiative founded in he Americas. The flag was raised while the Paralympic Anthem was played. The light paddle created the Paralympic logo, the stadium lights changed into Paralympic colors, and volunteers formed the Paralympic logo.

Oaths were taken by Kate Simmons and John Fraterson, on behalf of all judges and athletes.

The Light of the Fire
Giant video screens showed the torch's journey from Olympia to the stadium. It was firs carried by Dave Gork, a fellow Paralympian, competing in 1988 thru 1992, who was running around the stadium. Then he approached to Dave Heylite, a silver medalist in sailing, on the 2003 ParaPan in Tel Aviv. He carried until the stairs, where it was taken by David McReese and Cathy Bates, a husband-and-wife team, both competed in the same sports, and has the same medal. They ran through the stairs, and this was divided to 3 parts.

First: Cathy Bates
Cathy Bates ran with the torch, while David McReese helped her walk. She lit the traditional cauldron, which came with standing ovation.

Second: David McReese and the Fire Gun
David McReese took the fire from the torch to make a fire-gun to lit an another cauldron up to the first. He lit the second cauldron with the fire gun he had created. He successfully lit the second cauldron, which came to standing ovation for about 15 seconds.

Third: And Finally...
The pyrotechnics started the chain reaction with 5 fireworks before starting, signaling the start of the chain reaction. Then fuse was burst back and forth 5 times to lit an another cauldron at the top. Then an another round of fireworks and fuse were going up to lit the cauldron northwest of the stadium. A round of fireworks were burst, in total of this opening ceremony, the total fireworks burst was an astounding 30 tonnes. The fireworks display ended the opening ceremony.