Newsbytes Safilo Showcases Special Olympics Athletes with 2007 Calendar Safilo, S.p.A, based in Padova, Italy, and one of the world's leading ophthalmic frame manufacturers, created the “Safilo - Special Olympics 2007 Calendar” which juxtaposes their CARRERA and SMITH sports brand eyewear and professional athletes with Special Olympics athletes from the Europe/Eurasia region. All of the calendar images, created and produced by professional fashion photographer Stefano Sandonnini, speak to the pure excitement of sport and determination athletes of all ability levels give to their athletic goals. Olympian Anja Paerson and Special Olympic athlete Silvia Giraldo get in position to speed to the finish line representing January in the 2007 Safilo calendar. [Photo by Stefano Sandonnini] Olympian Hermann Maier and Special Olympic athlete Jurgen Stemer take to the slopes representing December in the 2007 Safilo calendar. [Photo by Stefano Sandonnini] Safilo has created a strong and tangible example of the solidarity and social responsibility that has become a cornerstone of the company. Through its work with the Special Olympics-Lions Clubs International Opening Eyes® program for more than four years, more than 30,000 Special Olympics athletes across the world have received free Safilo sunglasses or ophthalmic frames as part of the services Opening Eyes offers. Safilo is the exclusive global supplier of ophthalmic frames for the Opening Eyes program. Healthy Athletes Update  Vice President's Corner  Spotlight AMSA Screenings Promoting Health Literacy Funding Alert Testifying Before Congress Support from Capital Hill Newsbytes Success Stories Special Olympics International Global Messengers Take on New Role as Researchers Special Olympics International Global Messengers carry the Special Olympics message around the world. Their voices are a clarion call to people with intellectual disabilities to join Special Olympics and for people everywhere to support them in their efforts to demonstrate competence in sports and other aspects of their lives. Now these Global Messengers are stepping up to a new leadership role. During the first Special Olympics USA National Games, in Ames, Iowa, several Global Messengers participated in an important research project - as researchers. Special Olympics University and Healthy Athletes staff Kester Edwards, Darcie Mersereau, Coreen Harada and Dr. Dettrick Stith conducted a survey research project with Special Olympics athletes. The team of surveyors included several Special Olympics Global Messengers, as well as athletes who train through Special Olympics Athlete Leadership Programs; these athletes serve as primary spokespeople on behalf of Special Olympics throughout the world. “This is clearly a first for Special Olympics,” said Dr. Stephen Corbin, Dean of Special Olympics University and Senior Vice President of Constituent Services and Support. “While there have been a few instances of people with disabilities participating on research projects with university and public sector programs in the past, this is our first effort and likely one of the first times that persons with intellectual disabilities have been actively involved with the design and implementation of a health research project.” This was the first research project of its kind within Special Olympics; surveys were conducted as athletes attended Healthy Athletes screenings. They were asked questions about their perceptions of their health, health practices and beliefs and about how to maintain their health. “I had done some athlete satisfaction surveys before,” said Edwards, former Special Olympics Trinidad & Tobago athlete and current Athlete Outreach Coordinator for Healthy Athletes. “But I really felt that I was involved with something important in Iowa.” The athlete surveyors were trained by the research team. Then, they practiced their interview techniques until they were comfortable. Then the action began. They independently engaged athletes at the Healthy Athletes event in a series of survey questions and recorded the responses. Global Messengers proved to be accurate recorders of answers and received better reception than Special Olympics staff when approaching potential interviewees to ask them to participate. If you want to engage Global Messengers at your Healthy Athletes event, as researchers or in other leadership positions, contact Special Olympics Vice President for Sports and Athlete Leadership Dave Lenox at +1 (202) 824-0231 or dlenox@specialolympics.org; or Kathryn Clark, Director, Athlete Leadership Programs, at +1 (850) 892-5335 or kclark@specialolympics.org. For more questions about the research project, contact Darcie Mersereau, Senior Manager of Research and Evaluation, at +1 (202) 715-3600 or dmersereau@specialolympics.org. Academy of General Dentistry Partnership Expands Provider Directory Reach The Academy of General Dentistry (AGD) Foundation has partnered with Special Olympics to help identify primary dental care providers for Special Olympics athletes. The partnership, engineered by AGD Foundation President Julie A. Barna, DMD, MAGD and Stephen Corbin, D.D.S., Senior Vice President of Constituent Services and Support for Special Olympics, encourages interested AGD members and AGD Foundation supporters to identify themselves as willing providers of primary dental care for Special Olympics athletes and encourages local AGD constituents to work with Special Olympics Programs to identify sources of primary dental care for Special Olympics athletes. Special Olympics and the AGD Foundation are working together specifically to improve the health and access to health care for Special Olympics' athletes and the broader population with intellectual disabilities. They are asking general dentists willing to provide health care services for people with intellectual disabilities to identify themselves through the Special Olympics Provider Directory, available on the Special Olympics Web site, http://www.specialolympics.org/. They will also jointly provide continuing education opportunities for interested general dentists to better prepare themselves when addressing and responding to the health needs of people with intellectual disabilities. General dentists also are aiding Special Olympics through athlete recruitment, volunteering and in identifying a dental home for as many Special Olympics athletes as possible. Health care providers in all fields are invited to create a listing in the Special Olympics Provider Directory by visiting our Web site. We also invite you to share this information with your colleagues and friends. Together we can provide Special Olympics athletes with better access to care! Return to Healthy Athletes Update, Spring 2007