Celebrities, athletes walk gold carpet for Special Olympics athletes

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- A day before the Oscars, A-list celebrities like Katie Holmes and Maria Shriver made their way down a carpet, but not the famed red carpet.

They walked the gold carpet at the third annual Gold Meets Golden, a benefit where actors, athletes and Olympians come together to celebrate the Hollywood awards season and the Special Olympics World Games being held in Los Angeles in July.

"I've run into a couple of the athletes themselves and for them it's one of their greatest achievements," Olympian Lolo Jones said.

Hundreds packed Equinox in West Los Angeles to help the World Games' Support an Athlete program, which raises money to assist the 7,000 athletes pay for their stay in Southern California.

"The world will see that people with intellectual disabilities can do what they do," said Debi Anderson, a special athlete.

"It is fantastic to have our athletes be with Olympic athletes because it sends a message to people that our athletes are amazing athletes, as well as amazing human beings," said Jeff Carr, CEO of the World Games.

Olympians Greg Louganis, Nadia Comaneci, Bart Conner and former Lakers star Jamal Wilkes played hosts.

"I'm so excited to see the turnout today to encourage them to continue to do the work that they do." Wilkes said.

It might be Hollywood's biggest weekend, but these celebrities had no problem sharing the spotlight with this special group made up of stars in their own right.