WHEREAS, In the 1950s and 1960s, Eunice Kennedy Shriver saw how unjustly people with intellectual disabilities were treated and decided to take actions that led to the creation of the Special Olympics; and

WHEREAS, Special Olympics is the world’s largest sports organization for children and adults with intellectual disabilities, providing year-round training and competitions to more than 5.3 million athletes and Unified Sports partners in 170 countries; and

WHEREAS, Through the power of sports, children and adults with intellectual disabilities discover new strengths, abilities, confidence, and success on the playing field and in life; and

WHEREAS, Special Olympics is the leading voice in raising awareness about the abilities of people with intellectual disabilities; and

WHEREAS, Special Olympics events bring together a large and inclusive community of athletes, families, supporters, coaches, volunteers, and many others; and

WHEREAS, Special Olympics is the world’s largest public health organization for people with intellectual disabilities and offers a wide range of free health exams and care; and

WHEREAS, Special Olympics identifies the pressing issues facing those with intellectual disabilities, commissions and conducts high-level, externally validated scientific research, and reaches out to the highest leaders in government, health care, education, the nonprofit sector, and business to influence policy and to bring valuable services to those in need; and

WHEREAS, With support from the State of California, Special Olympics brought the power of Unified Sports to over 300 new California public schools this year bringing together athletes with and without intellectual disabilities to train and compete on the same team, building friendships, character, and leadership; now, therefore, be it