Newsbytes Healthy Athletes commemorative pin design. Special Healthy Athletes Commemorative Pin Marks 10-Year Milestone 2007 marks the 10-year anniversary of the Healthy Athletes Program. In that time, the Program has grown from two disciplines to seven, and more than 500,000 athletes have been screened worldwide! To celebrate the milestone, a special commemorative pin will be distributed at the Healthy Athletes tent at the 2007 Special Olympics World Summer Games in Shanghai this October. Athletes who go through three or more Healthy Athletes screenings will receive this special pin! U.S. Department of State Launches Eunice Kennedy Shriver Fellowship Program ** While not directly connected to the Healthy Athletes program, the following may be of interest - especially to grow Healthy Athletes in developing countries.** The U.S. Department of State recently funded the Eunice Kennedy Shriver Fellowship Program. This program, which will be developed and implemented by Special Olympics worldwide, is intended to create a cadre of professionals to lead Special Olympics Programs in developing countries, as well as cultivate cross-sector initiatives and long-term relationships between national Special Olympics Programs and the organizations and sectors in which Fellowship Program alumni are employed. The priority countries include: Brazil, China, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Mexico, Morocco, Peru, Russia, South Africa, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates. The ultimate goal of this program is to raise the status of people with intellectual disabilities in these countries, by sensitizing every sector to the needs and value of this population. Healthy Athletes Update  • Vice President's Corner  • Spotlight • Two Years in the Blink of an Eye • Timothy Shriver Receives 2007 Humanitarian Award from Lions Clubs International • Sometimes, We Forget About Other People….. The Lions Clubs International NEVER FORGETS! • Healthy Athletes Provider Directory Opens to Public on 20 July • Healthy Athletes Health Spot Pilot Tested in Missouri • Student Grant Spotlight: A Med Student Explores Current Tools for Diagnosing Autism • An Interview with…International Global Messenger Jessica Crook By Garrie Barnes, Special Olympics Maryland Athlete and Special Olympics Inc. Employee • Newsbytes • Success Stories Five Fellows will be selected in the first year, and these individuals will be chosen from Special Olympics Programs, government offices and NGOs, as well as academic institutions in the countries listed above that are key growth targets for development by both Special Olympics and the U.S. State Department. Program participants will engage in a 90-day Fellowship in the United States, followed by a 250-hour volunteer commitment to implement a Fellowship project in their home country with their local Special Olympics Program (which will be a collaborator in its development). Fellows will be immersed in activities with a U.S.-based Special Olympics “Host Program” office during their stay in the United States where Fellows will assist with short-term projects related to their learning objectives, as well as develop Fellowship projects to implement in their home countries upon their return. Individualized learning objectives and curricula will be developed for each Fellow. Recruitment will begin in the fall. Questions about the Eunice Kennedy Shriver Fellowship, including a request for an application, may be directed to Darcie Mersereau, Senior Manager of Special Olympics University, at dmersereau@specialolympics.org, or by phone (Washington, D.C.) at +1 (202) 715-3600. Special Olympics Oregon Showcases Healthy Athletes Initiatives at Youth Games Event “Get kids moving and give them the means to do it.” Inspired by this mission, Special Olympics Oregon (USA) designed the Program's first Youth Games presented by NikeGO. More than 1,200 children and their family members turned out in May for the unveiling of this engaging and innovative initiative designed to increase youth participation in Special Olympics Oregon sports programs. Isaiah Suarez Ortiz (left) gets instruction from volunteer Jan Lucas. The Youth Games, which were open to families with children ages 8-20 with intellectual disabilities, were designed to introduce youth and their families to the Special Olympics experience. These young athletes had the opportunity to take part in golf, softball and athletics. As a result of their participation, 100 youth signed up as new Special Olympics Oregon athletes. Healthy Athletes was a key component of the Youth Games; information and resources were prominently featured in the Family Pavilion. Exhibit tables promoted information about the Health Promotion, FunFitness, Opening Eyes and Special Smiles, as well as a number of community-based programs. In addition to the informational tables, Joan Medlen, Clinical Director for Health Literacy and Communications for Health Promotion, presented on the Healthy Athletes program and fielded questions and answers from parents in the audience. “It is always exciting to me to connect with fellow parents of children with intellectual disabilities through informal question and answer sessions. I learn as much from what they ask as I hope they do from my answers,” stated Medlen. “The most common questions focused on food textures, picky eating and foot care.” Special Olympics Oregon Youth Games is a project funded by a Nike grant and is part of a larger NikeGO initiative created to combat childhood obesity by encouraging children to get involved in sports. The next Special Olympics Oregon Youth Games will be held 6 October 2007. Return to Healthy Athletes Update, Summer 2007