Today, two events that shaped and will shape STGF took place. We mourn the loss of one great innovator and are looking forward to our future.
First, Eunice Kennedy Shriver passed away this past Monday and today was this remarkable woman’s wake. As founder of the Special Olympics, we owe much to the Eunice and her movement to change the treatment of those with mental disabilities. As we work everyday with mental disabilities we understand how important the changes she made are. Mrs. Shriver did so much to lessen the stigma of mental disabilities and we owe our work to her memory. One of the highest compliments we found comes from today’s Houston Chronicle
“In 1993, U.S. News & World Report paid Shriver what is perhaps the highest compliment. Assessing her work with the Special Olympics, the newsmagazine concluded that her efforts on behalf of the mentally disabled could well be the most enduring legacy of her generation of the Kennedy family.
That is some praise. The accomplishments of the late president are formidable, and the work of Sen. Ted Kennedy, particularly in the health care arena, figures to be enduring. But the 1993 assessment just may be on the mark. She was, indeed, an agent of change for the better. “
To read the entire editorial from the Chronicle click here.
Now to change tracks completely, today the International Olympic Committee (IOC) gave the thumbs up for golf to be included as an Olympic sport in the 2016 Olympics. Golf came in second to rugby and beating softball by a huge margin. Our athletes, and certainly our office, is jumping for joy at the new Olympic sport. To read Reuter’s coverage of the tense meeting click here.
We here at STGF are sad to see such a model for treatment of those with special needs move on, but today we also celebrate that the future looks bright for golf. We are off to camps to grieve/celebrate.
