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As children, we're taught that it's better to give than to receive. I hope you will put that lesson to good use this summer by volunteering for the 1999 Special Olympics World Summer Games. The games are a tremendous undertaking. Some 7,000 athletes with mental retardation hailing from more than 150 countries will converge on the Triangle June 26 through July 4. Accompanying them will be more than 2,000 coaches and 15,000 family members. The games will be the biggest international sporting event in North Carolina's history and the largest athletic event in the world in 1999.
But numbers alone fail to convey the full impact of the World Games, especially on a personal level. The figures don't tell the story of the renewed sense of confidence and self-esteem the athletes will carry home. The games are among the few times they will be judged for their distinct abilities rather than their disabilities. That's the mission of the World Games: to celebrate the accomplishments of these athletes through a sporting event that enriches their lives and the lives of all involved.
That's an important point. While the athletes benefit immensely from the games, so do the many volunteers. People who have worked with local Special Olympics know what I'm talking about. Few endeavors are as rewarding. You can't attach a dollar amount to the joy and inspiration you experience when you watch these athletes triumph over their personal adversities. Everyone is a winner in Special Olympics.
Carolina will play a key role as host of aquatic events, basketball, volleyball, tennis and table tennis. We'll feed and house up to 4,000 athletes and staff in what has been dubbed "Olympic Village West." And in the student union, or "Olympic Town," Special Olympics organizers have arranged for free medical and dental screenings for athletes -- for some, the first professional health care they've ever received.
Campus employees in units including housing, dining, athletics, public safety and parking have been hard at work -- some since the games were announced three years ago -- to make sure Carolina is up to the challenge. Under the guidance of Willie Scroggs, associate athletic director, I'm confident that we are.
You can make a difference, too. Volunteers are the cornerstone of all Special Olympics events, especially the World Games. Organizers estimate they will need up to 40,000 volunteers from across the Triangle, including people with the very skills you possess as translators and electricians, sports officials and forklift operators, medical personnel and computer operators, waste management experts and security people. Just as importantly, they need volunteers to help athletes and their families at the venues, residential areas and elsewhere.
I know many of you already have committed to help, and I hope the rest will seriously consider joining the team. Volunteers need to apply as soon as possible so their talents can be put to good use and background checks run.
Indicative of the importance of volunteers is that Governor Hunt has granted state employees up to eight hours of matching paid volunteer time to work with the games. The Board of Governors passed a similar resolution for EPA employees. (These rules apply to permanent employees who earn vacation or annual leave.)
For more than 200 years, Carolina faculty, staff and students have held public service in high regard and have stood ready to help whenever needed. The World Games provides a unique opportunity to continue that tradition. Think about what you have to offer, and, as you do so, keep in mind the simple, yet eloquent Special Olympics oath: "Let me win. But if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt." Those are powerful words we can all live by.
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