OFFICIAL STATEMENT FROM SPECIAL OLYMPICS CHAIRMAN

“President Obama called last night and expressed his regret and he apologized. He said that he did not intend to humiliate Special Olympics athletes or people with intellectual disabilities. He was sincere and heartfelt, and said that he is a fan of our movement and is ready to work with our athletes to make the United States a more accepting and welcoming country for all people with special needs.
“Words hurt and words matter. Words can cause pain and result in stereotypes that are unfair and damaging to people with intellectual disabilities. And using 'Special Olympics' in a negative or derogatory context can be a humiliating put-down to people with special needs.
“This is a teachable moment for our country. We are asking young people, parents and leaders from all walks of life to engage in conversation and help dispel negative caricatures about people with intellectual disabilities. We believe that it’s only through open conversation and dialogue about how stereotypes can cause pain that we can begin to work together to create communities of acceptance and inclusion for all.
“Special Olympics is not a program, but a worldwide movement operating 30,000 events a year in more than 180 countries. Every one of them is a chance for people of all ages to get involved, to think differently about attitudes and perceptions they may have about people with intellectual disabilities, and to make a difference.
“And so we challenge people to join our 'Spread the Word to End the Word' campaign, a youth-led national awareness effort that will launch on March 31, where we are asking people to pledge their respect for people with special needs. We’re asking people to sign our 'R-word' pledge, to join in our Unified Sports programs, to volunteer, and to be fans of our athletes and our movement.
“Additionally, we challenge policy leaders at all levels to commit to improving the support and resources for people with intellectual disabilities in areas such as healthcare, education, housing and recreation.
“Finally, we invite the President to take the lead and consider hiring a Special Olympics athlete to work in the White House. In so doing, he could help end misperceptions about the talents and abilities of people with intellectual disabilities, and demonstrate their dignity and value to the world."

Go to:
http://www.specialolympics.org/official_statement.aspx

Rep. Kennedy: Obama should be Special Olympics 'hugger'

March 20, 2009

U.S. Rep. Patrick J. Kennedy -- whose aunt, Eunice Kennedy Shriver, founded the Special Olympics -- said he spoke with his cousin Timothy P. Shriver, who is chairman of the Special Olympics board, this morning about President Obama's comment on the Tonight show.
"The president called him and said he was sorry for the choice of words," Kennedy said.
"But you know, frankly, it's not about the choice of words. It's about understanding the impact that these words have on these families that, as Timmy said, woke up this morning crying at the thought that the president was that insensitive to their children -- and, as Timmy said, his children because all those Special Olympians are his children."
Kennedy said Shriver was "swamped with e-mails" from "parents who felt the hurt of what it was going to mean to their children to have that message sent to them."
Kennedy, who supported Mr. Obama in his Democratic primary contest against Hillary Clinton, said the president is "like many Americans" who "don't quite get how the nomenclature is important until they see what impact it has on the very people who feel those words and what it means to them."
Kennedy said Mr. Obama "knows full well -- I mean, this is a civil rights issue -- it's people feeling dissed [disrespected]."
Like everybody else, Mr. Obama makes mistakes, and it's good that he apologized, Kennedy said.
"But the best way to apologize is to go to a Special Olympics event and be a 'hugger,' " Kennedy said, referring to volunteers who cheer on Special Olympians, often hugging them at the finish line.
"I think it would be really great if he went to a couple of Special Olympics events. I think it's a really great opportunity, frankly."
-- With reports from Edward Fitzpatrick, Journal political columnistThis morning, Michael McGovern, the executive director of Special Olympics Rhode Island said his phone had been "ringing off the hook" in the wake of the president's comments.
"There are a lot of misconceptions about the athletes and our program, and this time it's happened at the highest level. We're not pleased by them. It does give us an opportunity to try to put a positive spin on the thing," McGovern said.

Go to:
http://newsblog.projo.com/2009/03/rep-kennedy-cal.html

Shrivers’ $11.7M pad up for sale

The Maryland mega manse owned by Peace Corps founder Sargent Shriver and Eunice Kennedy Shriver, who started the Special Olympics, is on the market for $11.78 million.
Well, it is an excellent time to buy!
The Shrivers built the 10-bedroom, Georgian-style home, which sits on seven acres in Potomac, in 1986, and are unloading it because the elderly couple is spending more time in Los Angeles, Miami and Hyannisport.
Their broker, William F.X. Moody, said it’s not unlikely that the estate will sell for close to its asking price since a similar-sized home on their street sold for $10 million in April.
“What this Shriver property has is acreage and privacy,” making it more valuable than the $10 million estate, the broker told the Associated Press. “These prices aren’t as unusual to Washington as they were just a few years ago.”
Apparently, news of the meltdown in the financial markets hasn’t made it to Maryland.
Anyway, the 22-year-old manse has 11 bathrooms and includes staff quarters, a grand foyer with a circular staircase, a 567-square-foot library with a wet bar and a swimming pool.
There’s also an exercise room, where maybe, just maybe, son-in-law, Terminator-turned-Calee-for-neeya Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger pumped iron! That may be worth a few bucks . . .

Go to:

http://www.bostonherald.com/track/celebrity/view.bg?articleid=1119333

A fashionable Kennedy connection

Kennedy cousin and Special Olympics chairman Timothy Shriver gave the ravishing Roberta Armani, niece of designer Giorgio Armani and PR director of the fashion house, the grand tour of the John F. Kennedy Library and Museum during her first trip to the city.
They later repaired to the Armani store on Newbury Street for another event. Word is, the fashionista met Tim when she attended the Special Olympics World Games in Ireland where Roberta, on behalf of her uncle, hosted the World Games’ opening night kickoff party. Seems awful Special, doesn’t it???

Go to:

http://www.bostonherald.com/track/inside_track/view.bg?articleid=1119131