General Media Highlights From Around the World
-- Irish Examiner (Ireland), 13 October --Ireland to become global ambassadors for Special Olympics
The Republic of Ireland will be the first national team to become Global Team Ambassadors for the Special Olympics Global Football Initiative, the FAI announced today. Read more

-- Philadelphia Inquirer (US), 13 October -- Special Olympian on quest to inspire
Lorraine Miller remembers with perfect clarity the day she found out her 30-year-old son's life had changed forever. She was at a Boy Scout meeting for one of her younger sons when her daughter knocked on the window. The other mothers at the meeting thought it was sweet that her daughter was saying hello, but there was an urgent reason for the visit: Lorraine's oldest son, Lee, was in the trauma unit of Cooper University Hospital following a crash. Read more

-- The Tennessean (US), 12 October -- Special Olympians teach Ensworth students lessons: Service learning projects get high schoolers in touch with community
At a recent rousing football game at Ensworth High, the players celebrated a victory like it was something special. In this case, it really was. The players weren't the Ensworth Tigers normally seen on the field, crashing through opponents this season. These players were a mix of Ensworth sophomores and Special Olympics athletes. Read more

-- WXIA (NBC) Atlanta (US), 12 October -- 11 Alive News' Class Act Winner
In cherokee county, students participating in the Special Olympics are able to earn a varsity letter. it's a unique opportunity made possible because of the morning's class act winner. Read more

-- Qionghi Online (China), 10 October -- Local Special Olympics Athletes Prepare for Hainan Provincial Special Olympics Games
Special Olympics athletes in Qionghai city, Hainan province of China attended the selective competition in October to prepare for the Second Hainan Provincial Special Olympics Games, which will be held during December 1-4, 2009. 14 athletes were selected for the Games at last. Read more (Please note: This full article is only available in Chinese.)

-- golf998.com (Taiwan), 9 October -- Five Top Taiwanese LPGA Players to Gather at the Special Olympics International Golf Tournament in Taiwan
The 2009 Special Olympics International Golf Tournament is to be held in KUO HUA Golf Course, Taipei during October 12-16. Five top LPGA golf players from Taiwan will gather at the tournament to show their support to Special Olympics. Read more (Please note: This full article is only available in Chinese.)

-- Daily Collegian (US), 9 October -- Tennis team gives back to Special Olympic athletes
Junior Eddie Bourchier normally would have let a volley that trickled onto an adjacent court go untouched. On a crisp, quiet night at the Special Olympics Clinic, however, Bourchier sprinted to corral the ball so that he could see one more smile and laugh on the face of a grateful member of his community. The Penn State men's tennis team held its third annual tennis clinic Thursday night at the Sarni Tennis Center. The event, which was previously held only for Special Olympics athletes in Centre County, branched out to Blair County as well for this year's festivities. Read more

-- Athens News Agency (Greece), 9 October -- Support to "Athens 2011" Culture and Tourism
Minister Pavlos Geroulanos expressed support to the hosting of the Special Olympics World Summer Games "Athens 2011" in a meeting he had Thursday with Special Olympics International Chairman and CEO Timothy P. Shriver and Special Olympics Hellas President Joanna Despotopoulou. Read more

-- Shrewburry Chronicle (US), 9 October-- Special Olympics, Pop Warner team up for local competition
Shrewsbury’s Special Olympic athletes will emulate their favorite football players later this month during a one-day punt, pass and kick competition and a flag football and cheerleading exhibition. Read more

-- Malta Media (Malta), 9 October -- Maltese athletes to participate in European Special Olympics
Six swimmers from the Vodafone Malta Foundation sponsored-Special Olympics Malta have been selected to travel to Spain, Palma di Mallorca for the European Championships to be held between 14 and 19 October. Thirty Five countries from Europe will be participating in this Aquatic Championship organized by Special Olympics Spain. Read more

-- Tele-Quebec (Canada), 8 October --Joanne Gouin coach for Special Olympics
The least one can say by Joanne Gouin is that she has developed a passion for sports: skiing, surfing, judo, horse riding, jogging, climbing ... Beyond the sporting challenges, Joanne Gouin is also the mother of a young girl with Down syndrome and volunteer coach for Special Olympics. A person well placed to tell us that sport is a great tool to help children with developmental disabilities. Read more (Please note: This full article and video is only available in French.)

-- LoveFM (Belize), 8 October -- Special Olympics Belize Hosts Training Seminar Special Olympics
Belize will conduct a three day ‘Train the Trainer’ seminar for football coaches and trainers. The training will be held this weekend at the Stella Maris School and National Resource Center for Inclusive Education building on Freetown Road. Love News spoke to Special Olympics Board Member Myrna Elliot. Read more

-- WKTV (NBC) Utica (US), 8 October --Flame entertains hundreds at HCCC Hundreds gathered in Herkimer County
Community College’s Sarkus-Busch Theater on Tuesday, October 6 for a performance by the band Flame. Students and community members in attendance were from HCCC, Dolgeville Central School, Frankfort Schuyler Central School, Herkimer Central School, Spring brook, Herkimer ARC, Oneida Lewis ARC, Mohawk Valley Psychiatric Center, Human Technologies Corporation, and United Cerebral Palsy. Read more

--Windsor Star (Canada), 4 October--Special Olympics advocate overcame tragedies to show unlimited kindness
The family of lifelong Windsor resident and Special Olympics advocate Harold Holmes are remembering him as a man of seemingly unlimited kindness. “Harold was the most giving man I have ever met in my whole life,” said Margaret Holmes, Harold’s wife. “Harold loved people to no end. It was just in him to help people.” Harold Holmes died at the age of 77 on Sunday at the Western campus of Windsor Regional Hospital.. Read more

Fundraising News 
-- Yahoo Finance (US), 12 October --Shutterfly Encourages Customers to Give Back
This Holiday Season With New "Support-A-Cause" Cards Shutterfly, Inc., the leading Internet-based social expression and personal publishing service, today launches its collection of “Support-A-Cause” holiday cards to benefit five charitable organizations: American Lung Association, Heifer International, LIVESTRONG, Special Olympics and World Wildlife Fund. Ten percent of Shutterfly proceeds from the sale of “Support-A-Cause” cards will go back to the respective causes. Read more

-- WLS (ABC) Chicago (US), 11 October --Bank of America Marathon Helps Special Olympics
David schmitt is one of the Special Olympics athletes trained by Daniel Tun, a recreation instructor at chicago park district's welles park. >> david does the 100 yard dash. >> important, but raising the money and knowing the funds are going to other athletes and the and benefiting the Special Olympics community is important also. >> bank of america chicago marathon execute different director carey pinkowski says since 2002 they have raised $42 million for their charities. Read more

-- Greensboro News-Record (US), 7 October -- Sheriff's office takes first place in Special Olympics fundraising The Guilford County Sheriff’s Office took first place this year in the state for fundraising in the Law Enforcement Torch Run, generating $64,200 for Special Olympics. “I am very proud of the hard work our folks put in on their own time, but of course the real winners are the Special Olympians themselves,” Sheriff BJ Barnes said. Read more

-- News Blaze (US), 7 October -- Hardee's Teams Up with Special Olympics Virginia
On Oct. 13 Hardee's restaurants operated by Boddie-Noell Enterprises across the state will sell Stars for a dollar to raise money for Special Olympic Virginia. The annual fundraiser, called Buy a Star, Be a Fan, ends on Nov. 9 and is slated to help more than 1,000 Special Olympics athletes participate in the 2010 summer games. Last year, Hardee's owned and operated by Boddie-Noell raised more than $30,000 for Special Olympics Virginia. Read more

Health and Wellness News
-- American Statesman (US), 11 October -- New name, same mission for mental health center: City-county agency drops R-word to reflect new attitudes about such disabilities
Austin Travis County Mental Health Mental Retardation Center is no more. The 42-year-old agency — which helps low-income people with mental illnesses or intellectual disabilities — recently changed its name to Austin Travis County Integral Care. The change was largely made to remove the words "mental retardation" from the moniker, said Toni Inglis, a member of the agency's board. Read more

-- Dayton Daily News (US), 6 October -- Insults led MRDD to change name
The widespread use of “retard” as a put-down has led the state and county agencies that serve people with mental retardation to drop the terminology from their names. As of today, Oct. 6, the Ohio Department of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities is no more, and henceforth will be called the Department of Developmental Disabilities. The change was permitted by a state law passed in July. Read more