Celebrate county’s Special Olympics

To the editor:

It is not often that you get to celebrate your 40th birthday twice.

Last year, Jay County Special Olympics celebrated 40 years of providing athletic competition for special needs athletes.

Special Olympics began in 1969 to provide year-round sports training and athletic competition in a variety of Olympic-type sports for children and adults with intellectual disabilities, offering them continuing opportunities to develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage, experience joy and participate in a sharing of gifts, skills and friendship with their families, other Special Olympics athletes and the community.

At the core, Special Olympics is a sports organization that uses the power of sport as a catalyst for social change. Through sport, we challenge society.

By highlighting how the needs of people with intellectual disabilities are not being met, we expose inequity and exclusion. By drawing attention to the gifts of people with intellectual disabilities, we break down misperceptions and tackle negative attitudes.

The vision of Special Olympics Indiana and Jay County Special Olympics is that sport will open hearts and minds towards people with intellectual disabilities and create inclusive communities across the state and throughout the world.

Of course, none of this would be possible without all the wonderful volunteers, businesses and individuals in our community that answer the call to show support for our special athletes. You have been there when we needed you the most and we will forever be thankful.

To celebrate our 40th-plus-1 birthday, the Portland Lions Club is throwing Jay County Special Olympics a party on June 5 at the Portland Lions Civic Center from 4 to 7 p.m. There will be pulled pork, baked beans, cole slaw, a drink and cupcakes for a freewill donation. We hope to see you there.

“If I cannot win let me be brave in the attempt.”

Cindy Denney

Special Olympics volunteer