Founded by Eunice Kennedy Shriver in 1968, the Special Olympics have been supported worldwide by outstanding high school and college students, or anyone else who likes to share in a moving and personal journey .
According to the Special Olympics website, the Special Olympics are made up of passionate, committed individuals who recognize the value and unique gifts of people with disabilities.
Many businesses and organizations help give back to the community by giving financial and political support, and help to build awareness throughout the world. Special Olympics is a global nonprofit organization targeting the nearly 200 million people around the world who have disabilities. With a presence in 200 different countries worldwide and seven world-region offices, the Olympics are constantly expanding.
According to a Special Olympics worker, Richard Salinardi, the Olympics started out with only ten athletes, then grew into over 650 athletes worldwide.
There are sports for all athletes, so they practice and train 360 days a year.
May 4th marked the 34th annual Special Olympics, which took place at Monsignor Farrell High School.
“Five years ago I graduated from Farrell High School. I then started working with the Special Olympics and needed somewhere to hold the area games, which is basically the same as the Special Olympics. My mother teaches at Farrell, so I decided to use the facility for the games. I work with the physically disabled people, and started a club which is now five years old,” said Special Olympics organizer Kevin Joyce.
The day started out with a parade of the student volunteers from high schools and colleges on Staten Island.
Together, they marched to the “Rocky” theme song, being congratulated by all organization members.
After, Salinardi gave a speech thanking the community for their leadership, and giving a personal shout out to our school for volunteering.
“There was a great turnout. It’s so great to see that the community cares,” said freshman and volunteer Helen Bekhit.
The Special Olympics is not just for the athletes, but for us too. There are many ways to give back to the community, and volunteering isn’t the only thing.
You can honor and contribute gifts, in which you acknowledge someone who has touched your life, or even donate through mail or on line.
By donating, you are helping out the athletes, considering the Special Olympics are free of charge. “The volunteer presence at the event was overwhelming. Our students did a phenomenal job in their efforts in supporting the athletes,” said Physical Education teacher Mr. Dennis Barrett.
