What:
On a warm summer afternoon more than
30 years ago, Eunice Kennedy Shriver hosted a small sports competition in her
Chicago backyard. The competition
was only for local people with mental retardation.
Within a few short years, the competition had outgrown the Shriver’s
backyard and was moved to Soldier Field. Thus,
Special Olympics
was born.
To initiate the first Special
Olympics competition, Mrs. Shriver challenged each athlete to heed the words of
the Roman Gladiators: “Let
me win, but if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt”.
With her challenge, the Special
Olympics oath was created.
Today, in the Greater Houston area
alone, more than 4,200 people with mental retardation continue the tradition of
sports training and competition. These
athletes compete in 17 different sports on a year-round basis.
Now, just as they did 30 years ago, each competition begins with one
athlete leading the entire group in the Special
Olympics Oath.
During the Spring Games, each one of
our athletes will receive a medal or ribbon for their success.
These awards hold the same promise as it did more than 30 years ago: a
promise of human spirit triumph and a sense of accomplishment from push personal
limits. In Special
Olympics, everyone is a winner.
Who:
Any Student diagnosed with mental retardation and/or a physical disability
Where:
After school and on weekends at various sites within Pasadena, Texas.
Click here for pictures of our Special Olympics Athletes in Action
If you have any questions regarding Special Olympics in the district, please contact Delores Whiteside at 713-477-1501.