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Washington D.C. -- (22 May 2008) – On Monday evening, 19 May, at a dinner held at The World of Coca-Cola in Atlanta, Georgia, Special Olympics recognized organizations and individuals whose contributions were critical success factors of the 2007 Special Olympics World Summer Games held in Shanghai, China, last October.
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The recipients were the 2007 Special Olympics World Summer Games Organizing Committee, received by Jia Yong, member of the Executive Board of the China Disabled Persons’ Federation; The Coca-Cola Company, received by Muhtar Kent, President and Chief Operating Officer; Mattel, received by Kevin M. Farr, Chief Financial Officer for Mattel, Inc.; U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, received by Dr. Julie Gerberding, Director; The Samuel Family Foundation, received by Kim Samuel-Johnson, Director of The Samuel Group; Professor William Alford, Harvard Law School; Actress and Recording Artist Vanessa Williams; and Former President of Special Olympics East Asia Dicken Yung. More than 7,257 athletes representing 164 countries participated in the World Games, 200 million people representing 80 countries around the world watched the Opening Ceremony, and the Games generated over 1 billion media impressions worldwide.
“The 2007 Special Olympics World Summer Games in Shanghai were an unprecedented event that changed the lives of millions of people worldwide,” shared Special Olympics Chairman Timothy Shriver. “Each of these organizations and individuals has supported Special Olympics in many ways and their support of the World Games helped to make the event an incredible global success.”
The 2007 World Games Organizing Committee, composed of various arms of the Chinese government, worked diligently for years prior to the Games in preparation. In addition to planning and executing the largest World Games in the history of Special Olympics, they created more opportunities for acceptance and inclusion of people with intellectual disabilities throughout China.
The Coca-Cola Company, one of the founding partners of Special Olympics, has supported the movement for 40 years with funds, in-kind donations of products and services, and marketing and awareness support. Coca-Cola presented the Games with 8 million RMB (U.S.$1 million) which represented cause-related marketing campaigns conducted on behalf of the Games. In addition, they conducted an awareness campaign throughout China, reaching schools and universities to promote the Games.
Mattel has been helping Special Olympics reach young people through support of the Global Youth Summit and the Young Athletes program. The Global Youth Summit brings young leaders from around the world together to demonstrate changing attitudes, build understanding and engage fellow youth in calls to action upon returning home. Young Athletes provides inclusive opportunities for new families and their children ages 2-7 through fun activities designed to foster physical, cognitive and social growth prior to participating in Special Olympics training and competition at age 8. Additionally, Team Mattel, a group of workforce volunteers, has been supporting Special Olympics Programs in their communities; 10 percent of the Mattel workforce has volunteered with Special Olympics over the past three years.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has supported Special Olympics through funding for the Healthy Athletes® program, which just celebrated its 10-year anniversary. Over the last decade, Healthy Athletes has raised the consciousness of health care for people with intellectual disabilities and has been the largest provider of free health screenings for the intellectual disability community. At the 2007 World Games the CDC’s support made it possible to bring together a consortium of leaders for a Global Policy Forum to discuss the status of people with intellectual disabilities throughout the world and the continuing changes that need to take place.
The Samuel Family Foundation and Kim Samuel-Johnson have been champions for families of Special Olympics athletes through the creation of the Family Support Network. Special Olympics International Board Member Kim Samuel-Johnson has been a leading force and her commitment and passion for the Family Support Network is unprecedented. At the 2007 World Games Johnson served as the Executive Producer of the Family Broadcast which aired throughout China. Her commitment and passion for the Special Olympics Family Support Network ensures the creation of communities of inclusion and acceptance.
Harvard Law professor Bill Alford has been a trusted advisor, a tireless advocate and a valued colleague to Special Olympics leadership since 1979, when he and then Special Olympics Chairman Sargent Shriver traveled to China to meet senior government leaders of The People’s Republic of China to discuss Special Olympics expanding to their country. Alford’s contributions to the growth of the movement in China are innumerable. Today, he continues to work tirelessly as a senior advisor to Special Olympics leadership throughout China, even recruiting his wife, Dr. Yuanyuan Shen, Research Associate, the Fairbank Center, Harvard University, to assist in furthering Special Olympics in her home country. With more than 640,000 Special Olympics athletes in China, it is currently the largest Special Olympics athlete population of any country in the world.
Vanessa Williams has been a dedicated supporter of Special Olympics since lending her vocal talents to the A Very Special Christmas record series that have raised monies to start Special Olympics Programs around the world. She serves on the Special Olympics International Board of Directors and has traveled to Washington, D.C., to lobby members of Congress for their support of appropriations for Special Olympics Programs in the United States and around the world. Williams was in China for the 2007 World Games, speaking at the Global Policy Forum and doing a video diary for ABC’s “Good Morning America.” She even shared her award-winning voice when she performed at the Special Spirit in China Award Show which was seen throughout the world.
Dicken Yung joined Special Olympics in 1974 when he first met Special Olympics founder Eunice Kennedy Shriver. Since that time, he has served Special Olympics in various roles, becoming the driving force in furthering the Special Olympics mission and vision throughout Asia. Yung founded Special Olympics Hong Kong in 1974, and in 1982 was called upon by Sargent Shriver to spearhead the establishment of Special Olympics China. In 1996 he became the first Managing Director of Special Olympics Asia Pacific. In 2000, Yung was critical to the success of the China Millennium March, which was the launching point of Special Olympics China’s growth campaign that led it to boast more than 640,000 athletes and make it the largest Special Olympics Program in the world.
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