Special Olympics Holds First US National Family Forum On 5 July 2006, Special Olympics hosted the first-ever United States National Family Forum in conjunction with the 2006 Special Olympics USA National Games in Ames, Iowa. More than 250 people attended the event, held at Benton Auditorium on the campus of Iowa State University. Eunice Kennedy Shriver (center), Founder and Honorary Chairman of Special Olympics, greets guests at a reception to welcome family members to Iowa for the USA National Games. Accompanying Shriver are Anne Mkala, new Global Family Leader from Kenya, Donna Willms, Global Family leader from Canada, and Sandy Hembd, Global Family Leader from Special Olympics Colorado (USA). Willms and Hembd spoke at the US Family Forum. Families are the most powerful and valuable resource available to Special Olympics, serving the movement by reaching out to new athletes, coaching, transporting, raising funds, officiating, chaperoning and training other volunteers. Family members also make energetic and enthusiastic goodwill ambassadors because they know first-hand the benefits and joys of being part of Special Olympics. Special Olympics consistently takes steps to ensure that Special Olympics family members have every opportunity to contribute to the future of Special Olympics. One way that Special Olympics engages families for their leadership and support is through Family Forums. Special Olympics conducts numerous Family Forums and trainings throughout the world each year. These events bring Special Olympics family members together to share ideas and stories, educate family members about Special Olympics and foster greater and more structured family participation in Special Olympics throughout the world. Special Olympics holds Family Forums locally, nationally and globally, often in conjunction with competitions or Games. Family events — whether casual welcoming receptions or structured forums — occur at every Special Olympics competition. The US Family Forum joins a list of several other national and regional forums taking place around the world in 2006. From San Salvador to Warsaw, from China to Rome, Special Olympics families’ voices are being heard, sharing their ideas, networking with other families and offering their lifelong experience to help Special Olympics enhance and improve the experiences of athletes and their families around the globe. At the USA National Games, the US Family Forum consisted of a plenary session where family members heard from a Special Olympics family, Special Olympics North America Managing Director Bob Gobrecht, and Special Olympics Global Family Leaders Donna Willms and Sandy Hembd. Families then broke into five separate discussion groups where they spent an hour with a facilitator discussing the following topics: Families: The Driving Force of Special Olympics Local Program Development Health, Families and Special Olympics Athletes Education, Athletes and Families; and Athletes Becoming Adults The discussion groups were designed to allow maximum family participation and attendees were encouraged to offer positive forward-looking ideas. The input gathered from families at the Family Forum will be compiled into a report and shared with participants, Special Olympics Programs and Special Olympics leadership throughout the United States. The Family Forum report will be used to guide Programs as they develop plans to enhance programming for athletes and their families over the next several years.