“Special Olympics in the News” is a weekly update on media highlights around the world. Please forward to Programs or constituents that would be interested in receiving news about Special Olympics.  If you have media coverage you would like to include, or if you wish to discontinue receiving this update, please contact Karl Hejlik at khejlik@specialolympics.org.

General Media Highlights From Around the World
-- BBC News 24 (UK), 26 July -- Special Olympics Underway in UK
For many of these families and athletes it is the biggest moment of their lives. One decade ago this man would not leave his house and now he has helped co-host the opening ceremony. Organisers emphasise the role that sport can have on self-confidence, when every athlete is given the chance to shine.
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-- Irish Times Magazine (Ireland), 25 July -- Changing lives
Six years ago this summer, Ireland hosted the Special Olympics, and families and communities all over the country made lasting connections. The tradition continues to grow, judging by this letter from Hailey Zanes, a teenager from Idaho, who hosted a member of the Irish ski team, Charlie O’Reilly from Sandycove, during the Winter Olympics in Boise last February. Hailey is coming to Ireland this summer for a 10-day visit with the O’Reilly family; it would appear that Zanes and the O’Reillys have become friends for life.
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-- Windsor Star (Canada), 24 July --Special Olympics open with fanfare, cheers, pride
Fittingly, in a facility that was still a dream itself when Windsor was awarded the Ontario Special Olympics Summer Games three years ago, nearly 650 athletes and 200 coaches and managers marched into the WFCU Centre to begin the pursuit of dreams of their own.
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-- CCTV-9 (China), 23 July -- Special Olympics Ambassador Yao Ming has Global Impact
Yao Ming has become the embodiment of Chinese athletics.
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-- Windsor Star (Canada), 22 July -- Husband and wife team up at Special Olympics
For some of the 650 athletes competing in this week's Ontario Special Olympics Summer Games, it will be the moment of a lifetime. For others, such as Windsor couple Allan and Ruth Ann Stevenson, the Special Olympics are for a lifetime. The husband and wife team have been competing for a combined six decades in the Special Olympics.
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-- WBZ News-CBS (US), 22 July -- Dedicated Dad Raises more than $200,000 for Special Olympics
After his son was diagnosed with Down syndrome, Doug Keith threw himself into raising money for the Special Olympics.
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-- Leicester Mercury (UK), 21 July -- Special Olympics athletes promise a show to remember
Put to one side just for a brief moment the unstinting efforts of the people behind the scenes.
The Special Olympic Games deserve to be a success for 2,700 reasons – the athletes who are taking part in what promises to be an extraordinary sporting festival in and around Leicester.
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-- KCAL-LA (US), 20 July --Inter Milan Football players Visit, Compete in U.S.
There in pasadena – a global football reception and dinner leading up to tomorrow's match. Special Olympics of Southern California welcomed the Italian pros and joined LAFC in promoting the sport. KCBS, and KCAL 9 President Pat Mcbeen was on hand as part of the gathering. Also, there was Bart Conner and his wife Nadya Comaneci.
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-- Omaha World-Herald (US), 20 July --Local Golf Notes: Special Olympics in Lincoln
Lincoln warms up for next year's Special Olympics Summer Games by hosting the group's 10th annual national golf invitational for children and adults this summer.
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EKS Fellowship Program
-- NBC15 Madison (US), 26 July --Special Olympics Madison Welcomes Overseas Visitor
The Special Olympics have been going on for more than 40-years. In that time, the games have spread to almost 200 other countries. This summer, people from all over the world were invited to the U.S. to learn how the events work here. The Eunice Kennedy Shriver Fellowship Program is in its second year. For 10 weeks, 5 participants learn about Special Olympics from the nation that started it. And this year Wisconsin was selected as a host state.
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-- WHO-DM-NBC (US), 21 July --EKS Fellow at Special Olympics Iowa
We're talking to the folks from Special Olympics Iowa...and to a Special guest it has visiting this summer...we'll tell you about the program that will help one man bring Special Olympics to South Africa....
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Sponsors
PGA PRO-AM Golf Tournament Raises Money for Special Olympics Minnesota
Tom was out at a Special event yesterday with Ian Leonard. It was the pro-am golf tournament benefitting Special Olympics, a great event with a lot of Special Olympians teeing it up with us at Hastings Country Club.
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-- Winnipeg Sun (Ca), 22 July --Special Olympics athlete thanks Subway
On the surface, David Ingram was just making a sandwich. But a look beyond the lettuce and mayonnaise shows the relationship between a corporate sponsor like Subway and the gateway it provides a Special Olympics athlete like himself.
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Health and Wellbeing
-- pinktooth.net (US), 21 July --Special Olympics, Inc. and National Children’s Oral Health Foundation form partnership
Special Olympics, Inc. (SOI) and National Children’s Oral Health Foundation: America’s Toothfairy® (NCOHF) have created a partnership to fight pediatric dental disease and promote overall health and well being for millions of children with intellectual disabilities through SOI’s “Special Olympics Special Smiles”® program.
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-- Vision Monday (US), 20 July --BVI’s Third Vision Summit Stresses Eye Protection
The Better Vision Institute (BVI), an advisory board to The Vision Council made up of all three Os, recently tackled the need for greater awareness about eye safety and protection at its third annual Vision Summit here. During the Summit, Paul Berman, OD, received the 2009 Visionary Award for his lifetime dedication to promoting sports eye protection. Berman, team optometrist for the National Hockey League’s New Jersey Devils, is also founder and director of Special Olympics Opening Eyes, a program serving the visual needs of people with intellectual disabilities.
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