General Media Highlights From Around the World
-- Irish times (Ireland), 9 September --Buzek gets a Special Dublin welcome ENTERPRISING SPECIAL Olympics managing director Mary Davis welcomed the president of the European Union Parliament, Jerzy Buzek, into the Dublin offices of the Special Olympics Europe/Eurasia (SOEE) yesterday afternoon. The president was attending a seminar on “The Importance of the Lisbon Treaty for Sports in Europe”, on the invitation of SOEE. Read more

--New Times (Rwanda), 8 September --Special Olympics Tourney in Pipeline
The National Special Olympics Committee is set to organise a kids' tournament later this month. The one-day tournament slated for September 20 at Kicukiro will have children with disabilities competing in football, volleyball, basketball and athletics. Read more

-- Chicago Tribune (US), 7 September --Carl Erskine to lead Special Olympics benefit Baseball legend
Carl Erskine and country musicians will team up to raise money for Special Olympics at the annual Little Bit Country Jamboree. The former Brooklyn Dodgers pitcher has been a fixture at the event for 20 years. He will take the stage once again to play the harmonica with his instrumental gospel and country music band. Read more

-- China News (China), 3 September --Popular Movie Star Zhang Ziyi Participates in Special Olympics Unified Event
Yesterday afternoon, Zhang Ziyi show up as a Special Olympics Global Ambassador Beijing Tongzhou Peizhixuexiao, and nearly a hundred students with intellectual disabilities to play with the integration of bowls and football. Victory in the race with excitement Zhang Ziyi and his partner - a boy with intellectual disability hugged. Read more (please note: full article only available in Chinese)

-- Lynn Daily Item (US), 3 September --Stars slated to appear at Saugus Special Olympics Day
Participants in the Fourth Annual Harry Agganis Special Olympics Day at World Series Park will find themselves in some impressive company when three U.S. Olympic stars stop by and a championship trophy is put on display. Read more

-- Washington Times (US), 3 September -- D.C. alliance to honor Eunice Kennedy Shriver
The Greater Washington Sports Alliance will induct Special Olympics founder Eunice Kennedy Shriver into its Hall of Champions during the group's annual SneakerBall event Sept. 15. Read more

-- KRTV-Great Falls (US), 2 September -- Yogo Sapphire Mine helping MT Special Olympics
Montanans competing for precious medals are getting help from an auction for precious stones. One of a kind Yogo Sapphire earrings, necklaces, and pendants are up for grabs, and the jewels will not only make you look good, but also feel good as all proceeds will go to Special Olympics Montana. Read more

--THV 11 (US), 2 September --Longest Truck Convoy For Special Olympics
Sgt. William Scott with the AR Highway Police talks with Tom about an upcoming event for Special Olympics. Read more

-- KCAL-TV los Angeles (US), 1 September --Co-founder of Special Olympics Southern California Honored
Rafer Johnson won bronze at the decathlon at the 56 games and gold in the 1960 Olympics and today the board of supervisors honored Johnson for his contributions and humanitarian for cofounding this Special Olympics in southern California 40 years ago. Read more

-- Tribune-Democrat (US), 1 September --Cruise-in for a cause | Car show to benefit school, Special Olympics
People may be pulling the plugs on swimming pools, but summer isn’t over until car buffs motor to the 12th annual Last Blast O’ Summer Cars, Trucks and Bikes Cruise-In. The event, sponsored by the Cover Hill Auto Club, will be held from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sept. 20 at the Conemaugh Valley Elementary School, 1451 Frankstown Road, Johnstown. Read more

-- Hawaii247.org (US), 1 September --Police raising money for Special Olympics
Thursday at Safeway stores Officers from the Hawaii Police Department will climb atop Safeway stores in both Hilo and Kona at 6 a.m. Thursday (September 3) to raise money for the Special Olympics. The goal during the “2009 Cop on Top for Special Olympics” project is to stay on the roofs around the clock until 2 p.m. Saturday (September 5) while other officers and Special Olympics athletes collect donations at ground level. Read more

R word Campaign
-- NPR "All Things Considered" (US), 8 September --Rethinking 'Retarded': Should It Leave The Lexicon?
"Retarded" used to be a garden-variety insult, but it may be the next candidate for prime-time bleeping. E. Duff Wrobbel never gave the word much thought — until his daughter was born with Down syndrome. When she was just a baby, Wrobbel was driving with her when another car cut them off. "And I actually said that word," says Wrobbel, who is a professor of speech communications. "And then I stopped my car and got teary. And I thought, 'Oh my gosh, I can't believe I just said that.' " Read more

-- Calgary Sun (Canada), 31 August -- 'R' word resurgence rankles
I was just a kid when I vowed never to use the word "retard" again. My best friend's little brother was born with a speech impediment, which made it difficult for strangers to understand his words, especially if he was excited or speaking quickly. He came home one day, in tears, because the local ice-cream man had told him, "Get lost, retard," when he'd tried to order a popsicle from his cart, and was struggling to make his request clear. I was maybe 12 years old and I was disgusted. Read more

Health News
-- The Tribune (India), 4 September -- 100 screened for Special Olympics healthy athletes
For the first time, the city witnessed Special Olympics Healthy Athletes Fun Fitness supported by Special Olympics Bharat and International in which 100 students from various institutes were screened. Lovely Professional Institute of Physical Therapy and DAV College of Physical Therapy provided the professional and technical support for the event. A team from the institutes, led by their senior faculty members - Dr. Amit, Dr. Aditya and Dr. Ritesh and Dr. Pooja Bhardwaj, checked the participants. Read more

-- Pakistan News.net (Pakistan), 2 September -- Medical camp Organised for physically disabled children in Kashmir
A medical camp has been organised in Kashmir valley for the welfare of mentally disabled children. Mission of the camp, MediFest, is to provide an opportunity to thousands of persons with intellectual disabilities to participate in Special Olympics, year-around sports training and athletic competitions. Physical examination is necessary to register and participate in such competitions and with this aim Special Olympics Bharat organized medical screening under healthy athletes programme for the children with intellectual disabilities, in collaboration with special school in Srinagar where about 206 specially abled athletes are screened. Read more

-- Lions Magazine (US), Sept 2009 --World Games Set New Record
The Special Olympics World Winter Games in Idaho in February posted impressive numbers: 2,500 athletes from 95 nations competed and 10,000 visitors descended on Boise. But Lions in Idaho are proud of an entirely different set of figures: 1,100 athletes received vision screenings and 448 went home with prescription eye glasses and sports glasses. Read more (jump to page 31)