Family Forum and Young Athletes Program On 29 March, more than 150 members of Special Olympics Family Programs from 17 countries in Latin America joined 100 family members from El Salvador at the Family Forum, which convened at the Radisson Hotel and was attended by Lourdes de Morales, presenting the office of the First Lady of El Salvador, and Bruce Pasternack, President and CEO of Special Olympics.  A father from Sonsonate, El Salvador, one of the 250 Family Forum attendees, asked how he could become a part of the Special Olympics movement. [All photos courtesy of the official Games Web site] The goals of the Forum were to allow family members to share their experiences, and to discuss and identify strategies for recruiting new athletes and fostering active family participation in the Special Olympics movement. Two children demonstrate some of the play activities promoted through the Special Olympics Young Athletes program. In her address to the family members present, Rosario Marín said, “I urge you to join together in the Special Olympics movement so that this will be a world of welcome for our children." Rosaro Marín, Special Olympics Board Member and keynote speaker at the Forum, moved the audience with her experiences as a parent of a special child, recounting her fight to change legislation and overcome societal barriers. “I do not want my son to be merely tolerated and accepted," said Marín. "I want him to be welcomed and embraced by, and equal to, other people.” A presentation of the Special Olympics Young Athletes™ Program was directed to families with children with intellectual disabilities aged 2 to 7. This program addresses the development of spatial concepts and motor skills to prepare young children for the Special Olympics sports program once they reach the age of 8. The demonstration of the Young Athletes program was received with enthusiasm at the Family Forum, and attendees, including Helen MacNabb, Vice President, Organizational Development for Special Olympics (beige suit), were charmed by the lively group of children preparing for future involvement in Special Olympics sports. In El Salvador, the Fundación Solidaria Pro Niñez y Juventud (a foundation serving children) has been piloting the Young Athletes program since February 2006. Forum attendees watched as 25 young children demonstrated the physical conditioning activities using hoops, balls, obstacle courses and balance beams. The pilot program will last 10 months, and is also in place in Chile, Panama, Paraguay and Venezuela, all benefiting from sponsorship from Mattel Children's Foundation, which has given US$5,000 and equipment kits to each pilot program. Subsequent Family Forum discussions addressed the subjects of educational and work opportunities for individuals with special needs, and the involvement of brothers and sisters in planning for the future of their siblings. The participation of 250 family members, up from 70 at the first Family Forum in April 2004 in Panama, underscores the desire for information, for sharing of experiences and for support among the families of Special Olympics in Latin America.      < Return to main Latin America Regional Games page > page