North America Special Olympics Urban Initiative Pitch to Theme Team Leaders Team: Corporate

Message to Potential Leaders Your support of the Special Olympics City Urban Initiative, a city-wide activity for all five boroughs, will help to transform entire communities into model places of inclusion, acceptance and understanding.

What Is Special Olympics? Special Olympics is an international organization dedicated to empowering individuals with intellectual disabilities to become physically fit, productive and respected members of society through sports training and competition.

What is the Urban Initiative? An effort to provide more quality sports training and competition opportunities to underserved populations and localities, leading to growth and changed attitudes by: developing and implementing innovative program resources that meet the specific challenges of the urban environment, and designing and implementing a highly effective marketing and promotions model that facilitates opportunities in key urban centers

What We Will Achieve Effects on Society: Improvement in Quality of Life for City’s citizens with intellectual disabilities. Through their involvement with Special Olympics, they experience: improved physical fitness and motor skills greater self-confidence a more positive self-image mental, social and spiritual growth and, through their activities, exhibit boundless courage and enthusiasm, enjoy the rewards of friendship discovery of not only new abilities and talents, but "their voices" as well becoming fulfilled and productive members of their families and the communities in which they live. Some become better prepared to live more independent lives, including entering the workforce.

What We Will Achieve Effects on Society: Change in Public Perception. Through millions of individual acts of inclusion where people with and without intellectual disabilities are brought together through Special Olympics programs, longstanding myths are dispelled, negative attitudes changed, and new opportunities to embrace and celebrate people with intellectual disabilities are created.

Benefits of Participation Create a positive association for your company while providing opportunities for families that include individuals with intellectual disabilities Stand out as a leader among other companies by setting an example for strong corporate citizenship High visibility media Demonstrate a new opportunity to reinvest in City Inspire employees to give back to the community and build a positive association with company through volunteerism and team building

Expectations Name Usage –As board member, in public & private sector fundraising efforts Fundraising –Provide funding for Urban Initiative and participate in solicitation of other corporate entities by means of “corporate challenge” Spokesperson –Serve as an agent of change for this initiative through media and other opportunities