Jeff Hutchinson
Special Olympics Chairman
The Mission of Special Olympics is:
To provide year-round sports training and athletic competition in a variety of Olympic type sports for children and adults with mental retardation, and/or a closely related development disability, giving them continuing opportunities to develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage, experience joy and participate in the sharing of gifts, skills and friendship with their families, other Special Olympic athletes and the community.
Like the overall mission statement indicates, the Texas Special Olympics offers a year-round sports training and competition program for these special people from age 8 to 80. Eunice Kennedy Shriver, sister of the late President, started the Special Olympics in the early 1960's in her back yard. Texas Special Olympics held its first Summer Games in 1969. Currently there are about 22,000 athletes statewide that take part in the 16 different sports programs, such as bowling, figure skating, aquatics, softball, gymnastics, etc.
There are local, regional, state, national and world events held throughout the year. It takes a lot of manpower and funding to conduct these events. The Texas Special Olympics does not receive any type of federal funding or financial assistance from Special Olympics International. Donations are solicited from various private companies and organizations like the Knights of Columbus. The State Charities donated over $25,000 to the Texas Special Olympics last year. We hope to do it again this year. We need your help by purchasing Special Olympics pins, submitting donations using the Special Olympics Contribution Form, and by helping personally when the regional or state Special Olympic events are held in your area. Once you have been a hugger at the end of a track meet or had the pleasure of giving a medal to one of the winners and see the smile on their face and the bright twinkle in their eyes, you will want to return again and again. Remember the Special Olympic Oath: