Remembering Sargent Shriver
America and the world lost its preeminent ambassador of love and peace on January 18, 2010.
A social entrepreneur before anybody really knew what the term meant, Sarge created innovative public-private interventions that promoted fairness, peace, and service. He brought opportunity and dignity to millions of Americans and had a greater impact on the world than most of our presidents combined. Think Peace Corps, Head Start, Job Corps, VISTA, Community Action Program, Legal Services to the Poor, and Foster Grandparents.
With his wife Eunice Kennedy Shriver, he created Special Olympics and brought kids with intellectual disabilities out of the shame and shadows of institutions and into the world's biggest sport stadiums before cheering crowds. In a profound way, Sarge and Eunice simply changed the way North Americans, South Americans, Europeans, Africans, and Asians treated each other.
There is no doubt that Sargent Shriver is the architect for the modern service movement. He inspired the creation of Youth Service America and deserves enormous credit for the record number of youth serving in their communities today. YSA was co-founded by Roger Landrum, a Peace Corps alumnus from 1964. Former Senator Harris Wofford, who was Shriver's partner in developing Peace Corps during the Kennedy Administration, still serves on YSA's Board of Directors today.
The Board and the Staff of YSA extends our deepest gratitude for the life of Sargent Shriver and our heartfelt condolences to Maria, Bobby, Tim, Mark, and Anthony Shriver for their loss.