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John Cassidy, recipient of the 2004 AMVETS Ladies Auxiliary Humanitarian Award. |
John Cassidy of Overland Park, Kansas, USA has been recognized with a Humanitarian award for his tireless efforts to establish a winter games program for Special Olympics athletes in the central United States, a crusade he began in 1983.
With the backing of volunteers from the 4,000-member Kansas City Ski Club, which he headed, Cassidy was able to convince officials of Special Olympics Kansas that their Program's athletes could competitively participate in winter sports, despite the lack of nearby mountain slopes. Geography didn’t deter Cassidy, an avid skier. Instead, he helped organize one of the largest dry land ski training programs in the country, using the hallways of Johnson County Community College to teach skiing skills to the Special Olympics athletes.
The program grew rapidly and in 1990, the first Heartland Winter Games was held at a newly opened ski area near Kansas City, with Cassidy serving as chairman. Today, some 400 Special Olympics athletes from Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma and Texas participate annually in the games.
"John Cassidy has devoted much of his life to helping people with disabilities achieve beyond their expectations," said Auxiliary National President Virginia Hays. "It is an honor to recognize him with our Humanitarian Award," which is given to an outstanding American who builds and maintains the welfare of the United States of America toward lasting prosperity and peace for all its inhabitants. Prior recipients include Hall of Fame quarterback Bart Starr, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and entertainer Dolly Parton. Cassidy will be presented with the AMVETS Ladies Auxiliary Humanitarian Award on 27 March 2004 during AMVETS’ 47th Annual Silver Helmet Awards Banquet.
The AMVETS Ladies Auxiliary is a subordinate national organization of AMVETS; its members (female veterans or relatives of AMVETS) provide a range of services and support to veterans, communities and other nonprofit organizations.
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