How It All Began...

Special Olympics began in 1968 when Eunice Kennedy Shriver organized the First International Special Olympics Games at Soldier Field, Chicago, Illinois, USA. The concept was born in the early 1960s when Mrs. Shriver started a day camp for people with mental retardation. She saw that people with mental retardation were far more capable in sports and physical activities than many experts thought. Since 1968, millions of children and adults have participated in Special Olympics. Special Olympics provides year-round training and athletic competition for more than one million athletes in nearly 150 countries and all 50 states in the United States.

Local Track & Field May 1999
Pictures by Susan Corbin

Skill, Courage, Sharing, Joy

The spirit of Special Olympics skill, courage, sharing, and joy incorporates universal values that transcend all boundaries of geography, nationality, political philosophy, gender, age, race, or religion.
The Unified SportsŪ program brings persons without mental retardation together on the same team with persons with mental retardation of comparable age and athletic ability. Founded in 1987, Unified Sports fosters the integration of persons with mental retardation into school and community sports programs. To learn more click here

- Favorite Events-

What is your favorite Special Olympic event? Track & FieldBasketballSkiingRoller SkatingGolf Results

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	OF BENTON COUNTY