City of Philadelphia - File #: 130707

• File #: 130707
• Version: 0
• Type: Resolution
• Status: ADOPTED
• File created: 10/3/2013
• In control: CITY COUNCIL
• Final action: 10/3/2013
• Title: Recognizing and celebrating the accomplishments of Special Olympics Pennsylvania and the significant difference the organization has made in the lives of thousands of athletes with intellectual disabilities by giving them an opportunity to express joy and to experience success through athletic training and competition.
• Sponsors: Councilmember O'Brien, Councilmember Blackwell, Councilmember Johnson, Councilmember Tasco, Councilmember Reynolds Brown, Councilmember Kenney, Councilmember Greenlee, Councilmember Goode, Councilmember Quiñones Sánchez, Councilmember Henon, Councilmember Oh, Councilmember Jones, Councilmember Bass, Councilmember Squilla, Councilmember Green, Councilmember O'Neill

Date	Ver.	Action By	Action	Result	Tally
10/3/2013	0	CITY COUNCIL	Introduced and Ordered Placed on This Week's Final Passage Calendar	Pass
10/3/2013	0	CITY COUNCIL	ADOPTED

Title
Recognizing and celebrating the accomplishments of Special Olympics Pennsylvania and the significant difference the organization has made in the lives of thousands of athletes with intellectual disabilities by giving them an opportunity to express joy and to experience success through athletic training and competition.

Body
WHEREAS, Eunice Kennedy Shriver believed that people with intellectual disabilities were far more capable in sports and physical activities than many experts thought. Eunice and husband Sargent Shriver started a day camp in their backyard that eventually turned into the Special Olympics, a global movement that today serves more than 4 million athletes with intellectual disabilities in more than 170 countries; and

WHEREAS, The mission of Special Olympics is to provide year-round sports training and athletic competition in a variety of Olympic-type sports for children and adults with intellectual disabilities, giving them continuing opportunities to develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage, experience joy and participate in a sharing of gifts, skills and friendship with their families, other Special Olympics athletes and the community; and

WHEREAS, Special Olympics Pennsylvania became an official chapter in May of 1970 and hosted their first competition with 135 athletes. Today, Special Olympics Pennsylvania trains more than 20,000 athletes who participate in 22 Olympic-type sports at more than 260 local, sectional, and state level competitions and is at work in every county in Pennsylvania; and

WHEREAS, Special Olympics Unified Sports(r) is an inclusive sports program that combines an approximately equal number of Special Olympics athletes and partners without intellectual disabilities on teams for training and competition. The Unified Sports program promotes health, wellness, and social inclusion. Athletes and partners experience a sense of belonging, develop mutually rewarding relationships, are recognized as contri...