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

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

Why City? Why Now? Effects on Society: Improvement in Quality of Life for City’s citizens with intellectual disabilities. Children and adults with intellectual disabilities who participate in Special Olympics develop improved physical fitness and motor skills, greater self-confidence and a more positive self- image. They grow mentally, socially and spiritually and, through their activities, exhibit boundless courage and enthusiasm, enjoy the rewards of friendship and ultimately discover not only new abilities and talents but "their voices" as well.

Why City? Why Now? 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.

Why City? Why Now? Effects on Society: Potential Revenue (long-term): Through their experiences with Special Olympics, people with intellectual disabilities become 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.

Why City? Why Now? City’s Positive Image City as leader and role model in Special Olympics’ effort to transform communities by inspiring people throughout the world to open their minds, and accept and include anyone who is perceived as different. Generate positive image and stories about City nationwide Take advantage of events to offer opportunities for visitor/tourist involvement Provide a meaningful experience for City dwellers to give back through volunteerism

Benefits of Participation Provide positive opportunities for and create positive association among families that include individuals with intellectual disabilities (approx xxx in City) Maximize public funding to work harder through volunteer structure Set example for social messaging about need to give back to community and breaking down barriers High visibility media Demonstrate a new opportunity to reinvest in City

Expectations Media – public appearance at events and fundraisers Name Usage –As board member, in public & private sector fundraising efforts Secure commissioner-level support of initiative (Parks & Recreation, Office of Developmental Disabilities, Dept of Education) by appointing representatives & providing access to database and other information on relevant facilities (for ODD, DOE, through Parks & Rec, etc.) with points of contact Help to investigate and secure availability of funds through existing public funding streams