**
MEDIA ALERT ** MEDIA ALERT ** MEDIA ALERT **
WHO:
Timothy P. Shriver, Chairman & CEO, Special Olympics
Anthony Kennedy Shriver, Founder & Chairman, Best
Buddies International
Special Olympics athletes and Best
Buddies participants, along with coaches, program leaders and family members
from 45 states.
The Honorable Tom Harkin (U.S. Senator), Orrin
Hatch (U.S. Senator), Steny H. Hoyer (U.S. House
Majority Leader) and Roy Blunt (U.S. House
of Representatives).
Other expected special guests including: Hollywood
Records recording artist Joe Jonas of the Grammy nominated, platinum
album selling Jonas Brothers, 10-time Olympic Gold medalist Carl
Lewis, as well as Miss Maryland USA Simone Feldman, Miss Maryland Teen USA
Kamie Crawford and Miss Virginia Teen USA Jacqueline Carroll.
WHAT:
Special Olympics and Best Buddies members
will converge on Capitol Hill to urge for continued government support and to advocate for the proposed Eunice Kennedy Shriver Act of 2010. Following a day of
meetings with Members of Congress, a reception in celebration of the inspiration, impact, and indomitable spirit of Eunice
Kennedy Shriver will be held that evening.
Together, both Special Olympics
and Best Buddies will urge Members of Congress to authorize The Eunice
Kennedy Shriver Act, which will continue a national commitment by the U.S.
Congress made with passage of the 2004 Special Olympics Sport and Empowerment
Act. The Eunice Kennedy Shriver Act also includes The Best
Buddies Empowerment for People with Intellectual Disabilities Act of 2009,
passed by the U.S. House of Representatives in April 2009. This new
legislation continues the legacy of Mrs. Shriver by authorizing funds for
specific programs supporting persons with intellectual and developmental
disabilities in health, education and global program initiatives.
Eunice
Kennedy Shriver, who passed away in August 2009, founded Special Olympics in
1968 and was a longtime board member and supporter of Best Buddies, which was
founded in 1989.
WHERE: Hart Senate Building, Room 902
Capitol Hill, Washington, DC
WHEN:
Wednesday, January 27th
5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
WHY: More than 200 million people worldwide have
intellectual disabilities, making this the largest disability group worldwide.
Intellectual and developmental disabilities cross racial, ethnic, educational,
social, and economic lines, and can occur in any family.
*This
reception is made possible through the generous support of presenting sponsor
CSC. CSC is a global leader in
providing technology-enabled solutions and services through three primary lines
of business. These include
Business Solutions and Services, the Managed Services Sector and the North
American Public Sector .