Special Olympics PEI is honored to announce that Dr. Frank Hayden, founder of Special Olympics Canada, and recent inductee into Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame, will be attending the 2017 Special Olympics Festival. During the Enriching Lives Gala, Dr. Hayden will take part in a reflective fireside chat. 2017 marks the 30th anniversary of Special Olympics in PEI, and event organizers are thrilled to be able to share this milestone with the man who started it all.
As a faculty member at the University of Toronto in the early 1960s, Dr. Hayden found that children with an intellectual disability were only half as physically fit as their non-disabled peers. Common believe at the time was that the low fitness levels were a direct result of the disabilities. Dr. Hayden, however, proved that given the opportunity, individuals with an intellectual disability could participate in sport, and could become physically fit. This discovery led to the Special Olympics movement of today.
Recently Dr. Hayden was recognized for this work, and was inducted into Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame as a Builder. In his official Hall of Fame biography, it is noted “The growth of the Special Olympics Movement has had a broader societal impact – the realization that people with an intellectual disability have capabilities that extend beyond the field of play and into the workplace, schools and communities. For nearly 50 years, Special Olympics has used sport as the catalyst for creating a more inclusive world for all.”
Additional celebrities confirmed for the 2017 event include Ottawa Senator’s Defenseman, Dion Phaneuf and TV Personality and former host of Canada AM, Jeff Hutcheson, 2 Time Stanley Cup Winning Head Coach, Darryl Sutter, Head Coach and VP Player Development for the Island Storm, Joe Salerno and Special Olympics PEI’s Male and Female Athletes of the Year, Art Smith (Charlottetown) and Janet Charchuk (Alberton). Further celebrity announcements are expected in the coming weeks. More information on the Festival can be found by visiting www.sopei.com.
The Special Olympics Festival is Special Olympics PEI’s largest annual fundraiser. Funds raised enrich the lives of Islanders with an intellectual disability through sport. Special Olympics PEI relies on these funds to offer grass roots programing, quality competitions, trained coaches, and much more for athletes of all ages and ability levels. The Festival is a two part event which includes the Summerside Luncheon (being held at the Credit Union Place) and the Enriching Lives Gala (in Charlottetown at the Delta Prince Edward Hotel). This year’s event is being held on Monday, June 26th.
Tickets for the Luncheon are $40 each, or $300 for a corporate table of 8, while tickets for the Gala are $110 each, or $880 for a corporate table of 8, and are available by calling Charity Sheehan at 902-368-8919.
