We Support the Special Olympics!
Dear Ken,
We are the proud parents of Special Olympics athlete Mike Bailey. That’s him in the photo above. Last week you may have seen a note highlighting our son’s participation with Special Olympics and we wanted to share what this experience has meant to Mike and our entire family.
Mike was our second child of four and we were just turning 30 when we had him. We didn’t even know what Down syndrome was, so it was quite an eye opener!
Our neighbors and early intervention programs were so helpful. For Mike’s first birthday, we had a party to thank all our neighbors for their incredible support. Imagine a hot August night with over 80 people singing Happy Birthday to a beautiful little boy.
But we are most grateful to his teacher who recommended Special Olympics when Mike was seven. Right away, he was making friends, having fun and gaining self-esteem. And we were meeting other families who are still our friends. Since that time, we’ve rarely missed a chance to see him compete or be part of a medal ceremony.
Today, Mike is often described as having two moods, happy and happier. He loves the people and activities in his busy life.
From the start, Special Olympics was different than many other activities for people like Mike, because there was no prejudging about how much success he could have or what he could do.
Special Olympics provides a much-appreciated program for people with special needs who otherwise would not have an organized way to participate in such amazing sporting activities.
And we realize it would not be possible without Special Olympics friends like you. Thank you so much!
David and Karen Bailey
Parents of Special Olympics Athlete Mike Bailey |
