First contest letter to universities.

1. June 4, 2009
Dear Professor:
Special Olympics is a movement of hope, empowerment, and change. For 40 years, we have
provided year-round sports training and athletic competition in a variety of Olympic-type sports
for children and adults with intellectual disabilities, giving them continuing opportunities to
develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage, experience joy and participate in a sharing of
gifts, skills and friendship with their families, other Special Olympics athletes and the
community. Throughout this time, we have also transformed communities by inspiring people
throughout the world to open their minds, accept and include people with intellectual
disabilities and thereby celebrate the similarities common to all people. While we have grown
substantially to serve 3.1 million athletes in 180 countries, we still have much growth to
accomplish in order to reach all 193 million people worldwide with intellectual disability.
Traditionally, Special Olympics communications efforts have focused on event promotion and
messaging surrounding its sport competitions. Recently, we have strategically shifted our
communications efforts and capabilities to not only enhance the marketability of Special
Olympics events but also capitalize on the greater meaning of the entire Special Olympics
experience. Such a communications strategy has inspired key stakeholders and important
prospects to perceive the organization as an important and joyful movement for people with
intellectual disabilities, and as an urgently needed, life-changing movement for the broader
world.
In 2006, Special Olympics launched an initiative to involve University Schools of Communications
and Journalism to support its awareness building efforts. The primary involvement by these
schools has been to help Special Olympics tell the stories of its participants in a compelling
way. Profiles of the athletes have been written as well as communicated visually by students
studying broadcast journalism and photo journalism. These stories have been posted on our
website as well as used by media outlets and as part of our organization's year-round
communications efforts. In addition, The University of Miami, University of North Carolina,
Fudan University, Boise State University and several other Journalism Schools have also
supported a very ambitious initiative, Capture Every Moment Webcast. Through this initiative,
7,000 video clips were produced featuring athletes from 164 countries who competed in the
2007 Special Olympics World Summer Games in Shanghai as well as more than 7,000 video clips
from the recent 2009 Special Olympics World Winter Games in Idaho. Please see
www.live.specialolympics.org and www.specialolympicslive.org. For the more than 400 students
both of these experiences were truly life changing for each student who participated. Most
importantly, for the first time ever, families and friends of every Special Olympics athlete, no
matter where they lived, could share in their athlete's moment of joy and achievement.
To build upon its recent success, Special Olympics hopes to involve many more Schools of
Communications and Journalism worldwide to form a global network, the Global
Communications Corps. The involvement of the Universities will greatly help Special Olympics in
1133 19th Street, NW / Washington, DC 20036 USA / (202) 628-3630 / www.specialolympics.org

2. building its capacity to share the transformative power of Special Olympics with a much broader
audience while providing a unique and meaningful learning experience for each and every
student.
As a global organization, Special Olympics offers a wealth of unique and remarkable stories of
perseverance, dedication and challenges overcome. Operating in 180 countries, it offers athletes
a diverse range of competitive opportunities through 25 Olympic-type sports. Today, there are
more than 3 million athletes involved in Special Olympics, which translates into thousands of
wonderful stories that could be told. Stories that will inspire all who view them. With the
continued development of digital media, there is a wonderful opportunity to share these
stories… stories of acceptance, tolerance, unity, courage, inspiration, and joy. The involvement
of students within Schools of Communications would greatly benefit Special Olympics in this
global effort.
In collaboration with the University of Miami School of Communication’s Knight Center of
International Media, Special Olympics is announcing a video competition for the fall of 2009.
The competition is open to students from Journalism and Communications Schools around the
world and will feature competition in the following categories: athlete vignette; public service
announcement; and music video. All submissions will be reviewed by a panel of internationally
acclaimed film directors, entertainment executives and advertising agency executives.
If you are interested in participating, please respond to me at
pwheeler@specialolympics.org. We will provide ongoing information to you in follow-up
emails.
Should you have any questions please contact me at pwheeler@specialolympics.org or
Professor Rich Beckman at rbeckman@miami.edu.
We look forward to your school and students joining Special Olympics and telling our powerful
stories of acceptance, empowerment, dignity, unity, courage, strength, confidence, respect and
fun to the world.
Thank you in advance for your support and interest in Special Olympics.
Sincerely,
Peter Wheeler
Chief Communications Officer
Special Olympics International
1133 19th Street, NW / Washington, DC 20036 USA / (202) 628-3630 / www.specialolympics.org