Speech to the Special Olympics Board of Directors

"What I have received from Special Olympics Athletes is much more than I have given."
Washington, D.C. • November 19, 2002

Thank you, Timothy... Ladies and Gentlemen:

I want to take just a minute now to tell you all that I am resigning my position as Chairman of the “Special Olympics” Board of Directors, effective June 22, 2003. I am announcing my decision today to allow the Board to nominate an Ad hoc Committee to search for a new Chairman, and to effect an orderly transition.

I also wish to say, and emphasize, that it has been my joy and privilege to serve as Chairman of “Special Olympics.” In that work, no one has greater admiration than I for the vision and assistance of my wife, Eunice! Her courage and her determination to show everyone what persons with mental retardation can do is unparalleled! No one has ever equaled her originality or her determination, nor her hours and hours of work, seven days a week, month after month, year after year.

As you all know, I was the original skeptic. But, Eunice has led the way and shown the world that we all benefit when working with, as well as for, persons with mental retardation.

I am grateful indeed to have been a full-time volunteer for “Special Olympics.” I have been fortunate to travel all around the world to bring the message of “Special Olympics” to such far off places as China, Nepal, the Middle East, as well as to Russia and South America. In those places I have experienced many memorable moments. Of all those memorable moments, I’d like now to mention just two:

First in Iran, I was given a banner which was displayed at a “Special Olympics” exhibition there. That banner said, “Sports Must Create Spiritual and Ethical Character in Humans”. “Special Olympics” does just that! And that message and slogan continues in all our thinking and action.

Then, at a press conference in Washington, the Minister-Counselor of the then Soviet Embassy, Alexander Potemkin spoke these words: “Special Olympics” will assist us all, East and West to synchronize our moral compasses!”

I couldn’t agree more! But when Potemkin spoke those words they were totally new and profoundly revolutionary! And throughout all our activities, as a result of his words, we have attempted “to synchronize our moral compasses.”

Third, “Special Olympics” has also brought me as Chairman, much joy. What I have received from “Special Olympics” Athletes is much more than I have given. And I hope and trust that the new Chairman, he or she, will have the satisfaction of working with Eunice, and with my son, Timothy, who has brought great leadership to our Movement.

Among the things you will hear about today are these:

First: The Campaign for “Special Olympics” to raise $120 million dollars is progressing well. The excellent news is the that we will get the money we need to meet our goals for expansion!

Secondly: The first “Special Olympics” World-Wide Summer Games will be held outside of the United States, in Dublin, Ireland.

Third: You will also hear a report on how we can go to corporations successfully with new ideas on how they can give us important support. Because Our Movement is one of the first leaders in acceptance of all peoples, regardless of race, creed, or ethnic origin, we have become a model of peace and understanding, and acceptance for all.

Fourth: You will also hear an extensive presentation on the needs for SOI’s operating budget. That budget has grown from $20-30 million to over $60 million per annum.

And yet most of our Regional staff members are indigenous to their regions, and focused on their own needs, plans, and activities.

Fifth: You will hear an exciting report on how “information technology” will help us spread the Message of “Special Olympics” more quickly than in the past. We are learning from businesses that have diverse and far-flung operations how to create and manage such Information Technology! Now I have the pleasure of welcoming the new Directors of our enterprise. They are attending their first Board Meeting: Dr. David Braddock, a leading expert in mental retardation; Susan Grealy, the National Director of “Special Olympics” Australia; and Yan Mingfu who has, played a key role in expanding “Special Olympics” in China.

On just a personal note, I will never forget the marvelous party Yan Mingfu hosted for me in Shanghai in 1996 to celebrate my 81st birthday! The party was so great that we had a slight but real earthquake afterward. At least, that’s what they tell me. I slept right through it!!!

On a different and much sadder, subject, I am authorized to inform you all that two of our Board Members, Paul Marshall and Susan Saint James, are attending their last meeting today!

They deserve our deepest gratitude and respect for their invaluable contributions to “Special Olympics”. As Members of this Board and for many years preceding their membership on the Board, they have contributed brilliantly to our original successes and they have always produced new ideas. Let’s all of us together applaud them and all their contribution to “Special Olympics”.

In closing, I want to say that I will be available to help “Special Olympics” in any way I can.

The future of the world will, I believe, be everybody of all races united, all countries without borders, all living in peace, all sharing economic objectives and challenges, all living in harmony with mutual understanding. Special Olympics can help to lead the world toward and in those objectives, and will be doing so!

These are the task and opportunities all of you confront. I envy you!!! I respect you. I rejoice that all of you are committed to and competent to achieve those objectives. And I believe all of you will be creating a new compassionate and successful World of all Peoples, United and Compassionate to All.

Peace requires the simple but powerful recognition that what we have in common as human beings is more important and crucial than what divides us.
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Sargent Shriver
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