Special Olympics and Brockport
During the summers of 1975 and 1976, SUNY Brockport hosted the New York State Special Olympic Games. Soon after, the college was chosen to be the site of the 1979 fifth International Special Olympic Games.
Famous Supporters
- Julius Erving – Basketball
- Mrs. Rosalynn Carter, spouse of President Jimmy Carter – Honorary Chair Person
- Frank Gifford – Assistant Head Coach
- Pelé – Soccer
- Wilma Rudolph – Track & Field
It is estimated that between 45-50 celebrities participated in this Special Olympics.
Attendees included: Phil Donahue, Marlo Thomas, Sally Struthers, Susan Saint James, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Christopher Reeve and the Kennedy Family.
Famous athletes who participated included: Muhammad Ali, Bobby Orr, Phil Esposito, Rafer Johnson, and Hank Aaron.
Post-Olympic Events
On October 8, 1982 SUNY Brockport held a dedication ceremony for the new Special Olympics Park. The park contains a bronze sculpture and fountain created by Zurab Tsereteli entitled Happiness to the Children of the World for the purposes of celebrating the Special Olympics and the International Year of the Child. Tsereteli was a visiting professor at SUNY Brockport and sought to bring further understanding between the people of the Soviet Union and the United States. The world renowned Georgian-Russian architect, artist, and sculptor also donated the bronze statue "Prometheus" which depicts the Titan stealing fire from Zeus to give to mortals. The flame from "Prometheus" later became the symbol of the college.
Read more about this topic: State University Of New York At Brockport
Famous quotes containing the word special:
“The great rule: If the little bit you have is nothing special in itself, at least find a way of saying it that is a little bit special.”
—G.C. (Georg Christoph)