Delco singers/athletes join state celebration of Eunice Kennedy Shriver
Members of the Media Theatre’s State Street Miracles joined Special Olympics volunteers, athletes and government officials during a pre-celebration of the first Eunice Kennedy Shriver Day at the State Capitol last week. The event also celebrated the 40th anniversary of Special Olympics in Pennsylvania.
Special Olympics Pennsylvania (SOPA) President Matthew Aaron unveiled a portrait of Mrs. Shriver, who founded Special Olympics and organized the first competition in 1968. The portrait, a copy of a painting by David Lenz, features Mrs. Shriver and several athletes including Loretta Claiborne of York, a celebrated Special Olympics athlete whose life is the subject of a book and a Disney made-for-TV movie.
Aaron said that Mrs. Shriver was committed to inclusion, acceptance, human dignity and change. Her portrait now hangs in the Capitol building in Harrisburg.
The State Street Miracles opened the celebration by singing “God Bless America.” The seven performers who attended the event are also Special Olympics athletes. Under the direction of Roger Ricker, the performers were Jennifer Klapinsky, Kim Watson, Jake Spencer and Brian Short, all of Middletown, Peter Crumb of Upper Providence, Brittany Roberts of Thornbury and Erin McGivney of Wayne.
The Miracles were thrilled to meet Ms. Claiborne who praised Mrs. Shriver for her commitment to people with disabilities and for personally changing her life. Ms. Claiborne told the crowd that she grew up in the projects in York and was an angry teenager who would have likely ended up in prison if not for Special Olympics.
“My coach said, ‘If you take those fists down and use your feet, you’re going to get somewhere,” said Claiborne, 57, who was friends with Mrs. Shriver for 40 years. “Eunice Kennedy Shriver cared when no one else did. She was my friend. She is a hero.”
Eunice Kennedy Shriver Day is officially celebrated throughout the world on Sept. 25. Mrs. Shriver died in 2009 at the age of 88.
Pennsylvania Special Olympics will celebrate its 40th anniversary at the Fall Festival competition in November at Villanova University. There are now 20,000 athletes involved in SOPA. The Delaware County athletes who performed as the State Street Miracles are among those who will compete at Fall Festival.
(For more information about Special Olympics visit www.specialolympicspa.org.)
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