I was delighted, of course, to read the new, joint “Mission Statement”, signed by Dan Rosenblatt, Executive Director of The International Association of Chiefs of Police and our Special Olympics President and CEO, Doug Single. I congratulate everyone who worked to create this excellent document, and I’m sure it augurs well for our mutual success.
Tonight, I’d like to talk about “miracles”. Of course, I realize that many, maybe most, people in this modern, scientific world don’t believe in “miracles”. Maybe most people here tonight, experienced law enforcement officials, don’t believe in “miracles”. But, friends, after a lifetime in business, journalism, law, diplomacy, philanthropy, politics, and government, I believe more in miracles than ever before in my whole life.
To me the “Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics” is a miracle! Never before have police officials organized, managed, and participated in nation-wide Torch Runs for any charity...any where... in any country...let alone in many countries!
Chief LaMunyon started an event unprecedented so far as I know, in world history.
Can you imagine the K.G.B. in Soviet Russia organizing a Torch Run for charity?
Can you imagine a Torch Run by policemen in Cuba, or Red China, for charity?
Can you imagine Hitler or Mussolini organizing police officers to run for charity?
Chief LaMunyoun started a Torch Run in Kansas - then in neighboring states. But even Chief LaMunyon never dreamed that 30% of all Law Enforcement officers in the USA would join in The Torch Run for Special Olympics!
You have run 350,000 miles for Special Olympics...That’s 14 times around the earth!!!
...Not on some space station sailing around in the sky with little effort, carrying 5 or 6 people...No!
You have run around the Earth on your own feet, with your own energy - because you have believed in a cause, the Special Olympics cause.
I’m here to thank you...to congratulate you...and rejoice with you...: --
For you have generated more than $17 million for Special Olympics. No organization or benefactor has done more...in dollars...but in 35,000 communities you have also delivered the message of Special Olympics: -- the message that the millions and millions of mentally handicapped people in the world are worthy human beings, that they deserve our attention and help, that they will respond and become useful citizens in a truly democratic, compassionate society...that all of us will become better people because of them!
No organization of police officers has ever done more, or as much as you have done, for a better world!!!
So, I’m here tonight to tell you -- You are among the best, you are among The Blessed people alive today in the world. No one predicted what you have done. Many today can hardly believe you have succeeded. But you have! Special Olympics thanks you...individually and collectively.
You are among the greatest!!
Yes, you are a miracle!
But, friends, let me tell you..."You are not alone”!
No one, not even my wife, Eunice, ever believed, when she started “Special Olympics”, that in 23 years her organization would be operating in 110 countries, on every continent, with all races of people, with all ages of people, in Communist and capitalist nations, within dictatorial and democratic societies, in Muslim, Hindu, Shintoist, Christian, Jewish, and pagan lands.
Ten years ago we couldn’t get on television. Now we can’t get off!
Warren Beatty, Marlee Matlin, Randy Travis, Frank Gifford, Chris Burke, Melanie Griffith, Prince, Patti Austin, Bob Seger, Arnold Schwarzenegger, all these “stars” and many more, perform -- free-of-charge, -- for Special Olympics.
Isn’t that a miracle?
Think of this!
The President of our country, George Bush, the President of the former Soviet Union, Gorbachev, the President of Greece where the Olympics were born; the President of Brazil; the President of Zimbabwe; the Prime Minister of Singapore, and the Prime Minister of Japan all endorse Special Olympics. This, too, is a phenomenon, unprecedented in the history of philanthropy and sports.
“Special Olympics” is the only philanthropy ever “invented in America” to be accepted world-wide...
In fact, we are the only philanthropy invented anywhere in this century to gain acceptance and approval everywhere!
Isn’t that a miracle? A miracle of which you are a crucial part?
Can you believe we are operational in every part of the former Soviet Union? The only Western philanthropy ever admitted to that country?
Even in Muslim countries we are welcomed with our title “Special Olympics”, not translated into Arabic, not even with the star and crescent insignia. That acceptance has never been given to any Western, non-Muslim philanthropy, not even to the Red Cross.
Aren’t those miracles?
I wish I could tell you that we have planned all of these successes, these unprecedented developments.
The truth is we haven’t.
I’ll never forget, about 10 years ago, when a message arrived from the Celebes Islands. They officially applied to join Special Olympics.
Nor, will I forget eight years ago when a telegram from China, received in Ireland, arrived requesting admission to Special Olympics. No one from Special Olympics had ever set foot in China.
We were operational in Latvia, Estonia, and Lithuania before the USSR collapsed...on invitation from their peoples!
And we operate in the poorest nations of Africa and Latin America and the Caribbean...at their request. In Tanzania, Burkina Faso, Bolivia.
The miracle of Special Olympics continues daily. We have inaugurated totally new programs of sports for the most mentally handicapped and for those with the most ability; for the aged who are mentally handicapped and for the youngest...
We have mobilized Families of the mentally handicapped -- 375,000 family members are now registered with us. We have been officially recognized by the International Olympic Committee in Switzerland. We are the only organization authorized by them to use the word Olympics in our title worldwide. We didn’t even ask for this recognition. They gave it to us! That has never happened to any other Sports organization.
Aren’t those miraculous realities, -- not planned by us, not financed by us, not the result of our genius, or “clout”, or imperialistic pressure?
My friends, I could go on like this all night. But, don’t worry, I won’t! I can conclude my remarks very simply by saying:
- “We Care” just as “You Care”. We care about the millions and millions of persons with mental retardation who, never before in history, have had anyone to care for them.
- We admire the courage and strength of the Special Olympians, -- just as you do.
- We are inspired by the heroic efforts of the Special Olympians, -- just as you are.
- We are happy to participate in a positive community effort, just as you are.
But, truthfully, we could not do any of this without you, -- or without the volunteers who help us: -- the excellent coaches and trainers, the parents, the businessmen and women, the accountants, the public relations experts, the government officials, the medical doctors and nurses, the fraternal societies like “Civitan” and The Knights of Columbus. We couldn’t stage the Games without all those helpers. We have only 85 people at International Headquarters. We spend $10 million running Special Olympics everywhere, but this calendar year Special Olympics programs will be given $100,000,000 by citizens like you to finance all the local and state and national Games.
How many such Games do we stage per annum? Approximately 40,000.
No sports program comes even close to that number of events per annum. But Special Olympics achieves these results only because of you, and all the other volunteers and parents, all over the world.
But we are not “fat, dumb, and happy! Today, we have 1,200,000 athletes in Special Olympics. By 1995, we hope to have 1,700,000 or even 2,000,000. By the year 2000 we hope to start the 21st Century with 2.5 or 3,000,000 athletes!!!
That’s a huge athletic program! But, my friends, there are 250,000,000 mentally handicapped human beings alive today. And the number grows.
I believe, and I hope you believe, that we so-called “normal” people are called upon to prove by our actions that we practice what we preach...that all men and women are created equal...that they are endowed by their Creator with inalienable rights, no matter how disabled they may be. In our sight, they are destined to live forever just like you and I.
You demonstrate your allegiance to these values and concepts by your participation in your marvelous Law Enforcement Torch Run. Through it, you are demonstrating your commitment to the principles upon which our nation is based. You reveal your belief that nothing, and no one, my dear friends, is more important than one Special Olympics athlete, or one police officer, who gives of himself or herself to the service of humanity.
That truth will never change, -- and for that I thank God.
I thank Him, too, for the miracle of your help; I thank Him (or Her) for the miracle of “Special Olympics,” and for the miracle of life.
May we cherish and protect and develop human life in all its shapes and sizes and stages.
Then, we will surely be doing God’s work on Earth...and that is the greatest miracle of all...the miracle that you and I - weak though we are, prone to error as we all may be, fitful, inconstant, plagued by doubts, harried by financial concerns, as we are, nevertheless, we are called to do God’s work on Earth. In “Special Olympics” we are surely doing that work. There is no other explanation for our success...or for yours! Together, we are working with Him, for His creation, His creatures, and for the true peace of this World.
Bless you and thank you...
If my wife were here she would blow you a kiss...
In her absence, sorry to say, I can only blow your horn!!!
