Awareness campaign: Lack of funding is depriving many people with a learning disability in Ireland of the opportunity to take part in Special Olympics, say organisers. A fundraising campaign now aims to double the numbers involved.
Special Olympics Ireland hopes to raise €4 million in its new "Get Up, Get Out and Go!" campaign, which would allow it to bring an extra 8,000 athletes into its ongoing programme of training and competition by 2007.
There are just 8,000 people involved with Special Olympics out of a total of 34,000 people with a learning disability on the island of Ireland.
Special Olympics Ireland national director Mary Davis said the participation rate was too low and the Go! campaign was launched because money was urgently needed.
While public awareness of Special Olympics was very high particularly after the World Games were held in Dublin in 2003, she said many people didn't realise it was not just about a big one-off event.
"Special Olympics is a year-round programme of training and competition and the training is as important, if not more important, than competition - what the athletes get from participation year in and year out benefits them most," Ms Davis said.
While there is already a network of 450 Special Olympics clubs, services, schools and workshops throughout Ireland offering people the chance to train and compete in different sports, there are still thousands who could benefit from participating who have not yet been identified.
"We have a database for every county in the country of the numbers of people with learning disabilities but we don't have names and addresses. We need to find out who they are and then talk to them and their families about Special Olympics and to get them involved," Ms Davis said.
She said it required huge resources to identify people, to form clubs and to arrange coaching and competitions. It costs €1,000 a year to bring one new athlete into the programme.
Ms Davis said many parents didn't realise that Special Olympics was for their children. "They say they thought their children would have to be very good at sport to be involved," she said. Special Olympics offers a wide range of activities for all ability levels.
The idea of the campaign is to encourage members of the public to take some exercise themselves while raising money, although obviously all fundraising is welcome. Some of the events already being organised around the country are golf classics and school sports days. Organisers are particularly hopeful that more events will be organised in Dublin as fundraising so far has been slower in the capital than elsewhere.
A Go! campaign office has been opened in every county and information about the campaign and fundraising ideas are available on www.go2005.ie or 1850 60 2005.
Special athlete Anne Foley, who is featured in the campaign adverts, encourages people to get involved "to help people like me to improve their lives through sport". She said she had made many friends through Special Olympics and by doing something active everyone who participated in fundraising events would benefit. "We want everyone to help us to raise money for Special Olympics, to help make a difference, so get up, get out and go fundraise," she said.