Special Olympics
Dr. Hayden to participate in reflective fireside chat at Enriching Lives Gala
The founder of Special Olympics Canada will attend Special Olympics P.E.I.’s Special Olympics Festival on Monday, June 26. Dr. Frank Hayden will participate in a reflective fireside chat during the Enriching Lives Gala at the Delta Prince Edward Hotel in Charlottetown.
Special Olympics P.E.I. has announced a very special guest will be attending the 2017 Special Olympics Festival.
Dr. Frank Hayden, founder of Special Olympics Canada and recent inductee into Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame, will take part in a reflective fireside chat during the Enriching Lives Gala. This year marks the 30th anniversary of Special Olympics on P.E.I., and event organizers are thrilled to be able to share this milestone with the man who started it all, notes a media release from the provincial organization.
As a faculty member at the University of Toronto in the early 1960s, Dr. Hayden found that children with an intellectual disability were only half as physically fit as their non-disabled peers. Common believe, at the time, was that the low fitness levels were a direct result of the disabilities.
Dr. Hayden, however, proved that, given the opportunity, individuals with an intellectual disability could participate in sport, and could become physically fit. This discovery led to the Special Olympics movement of today. Recently, Dr. Hayden was recognized for this work, and was inducted into Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame as a builder. “The growth of the Special Olympics movement has had a broader societal impact – the realization that people with an intellectual disability have capabilities that extend beyond the field of play and into the workplace, schools and communities,” notes Dr. Hayden’s official Hall of Fame biography. “For nearly 50 years, Special Olympics has used sport as the catalyst for creating a more inclusive world for all.”
Largest fundraiser
The Special Olympics Festival is Special Olympics P.E.I.’s largest annual fundraiser. Funds raised enrich the lives of Islanders with an intellectual disability through sport. Special Olympics P.E.I. relies on these funds to offer grassroots programing, quality competitions, trained coaches and much more for athletes of all ages and ability levels. The festival is a two-part event, which includes a luncheon at Credit Union Place in Summerside, and the Enriching Lives Gala at the Delta Prince Edward Hotel
in Charlottetown. The date is Monday, June 26.
Tickets for both locations are available by calling Charity Sheehan at (902)-368-8919.
Special Olympics P.E.I.
Established in 1987, the P.E.I. chapter of this international movement is dedicated to enriching the lives of Islanders with an intellectual disability through the transformative power and joy of sport.
Operating out of sport clubs in four councils, this grassroots movement reaches beyond the sphere of sport to empower individuals, change attitudes and build communities. From twoyear-olds to mature adults, over 350 athletes with an intellectual disability are registered in Special Olympics P.E.I.’s year-round programs across the province, and they’re supported by more than 120 volunteers.