BILL NUMBER: SCR 125CHAPTERED BILL TEXT RESOLUTION CHAPTER 134 FILED WITH SECRETARY OF STATE SEPTEMBER 7, 2010 ADOPTED IN SENATE AUGUST 26, 2010 ADOPTED IN ASSEMBLY AUGUST 31, 2010 INTRODUCED BY Senators Hollingsworth and Steinberg AUGUST 20, 2010 Relative to Eunice Kennedy Shriver Day. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST SCR 125, Hollingsworth. Eunice Kennedy Shriver Day. This measure would designate September 25, 2010, as Eunice Kennedy Shriver Day and would urge individuals and families who have had no prior involvement with Special Olympics or Best Buddies to contact their local Special Olympics program or visit www.eksday.org and participate. WHEREAS, On Saturday, September 25, 2010, the State of California will participate in the first annual Global Eunice Kennedy Shriver (EKS) Day, an annual celebration of her life and a global call to action for people to commit actions of inclusion, acceptance, and unity for and with people with intellectual disabilities; and WHEREAS, Eunice Kennedy Shriver Day has been created to inspire new fans to experience her legacy and embrace the movement she founded in her backyard; and WHEREAS, What started as an inclusive sports camp in the early 1960s has blossomed into a worldwide movement transforming lives in over 170 countries; and WHEREAS, Eunice Kennedy Shriver, founder of the Special Olympics movement and long-time supporter of Best Buddies, was the leading international advocate for the rights of people with intellectual disabilities; WHEREAS, In awarding her the first "Sportsman of the Year Legacy Award," Sports Illustrated called her "... one of those revolutionaries who saw opportunity where others saw barriers, someone who started a movement and changed a world"; and WHEREAS, Eunice Kennedy Shriver's actions helped open the minds of all people to the gifts and talents of individuals with intellectual disabilities; and WHEREAS, Eunice Kennedy Shriver demonstrated an unrelenting, indomitable spirit in action whereby one person could make a difference and change the world; and WHEREAS, For more than half a century, until her passing in 2009, Eunice Kennedy Shriver was a tireless champion for those among us who have been neglected and ignored for too long; and WHEREAS, Her love for all people, her belief in justice, and her relentlessly energetic pursuit of a better life for people with intellectual disabilities serves as an example for all of us; and WHEREAS, Her lasting legacy must be our continued commitment to improve and transform the lives of the 200 million people worldwide with intellectual disabilities that still live with diminished opportunities and social disrespect, and are often neglected and hidden away; and WHEREAS, On September 25, 2010, Special Olympics and Best Buddies will lead the world in a celebration of the inspiration, impact, and indomitable spirit of Eunice Kennedy Shriver; and WHEREAS, Eunice Kennedy Shriver Day will be celebrated in this state with a number of activities involving both people with and without intellectual disabilities; and WHEREAS, Thousands of people around the world will commit to perform Eunice Kennedy Shriver Acts (EKS Acts) of inclusion and acceptance for and with persons with intellectual disabilities, by, among other things, inviting them to lunch, volunteering in a special education classroom or vocational center, conducting an awareness campaign at local businesses or schools, becoming a coach for Special Olympics, and offering support to a parent of a child with intellectual disabilities; and WHEREAS, EKS Acts are known as Eunice Kennedy Shriver Acts of Unity, which contribute to furthering her legacy; now, therefore, be it Resolved by the Senate of the State of California, the Assembly thereof concurring, That the Legislature designates September 25, 2010, as Eunice Kennedy Shriver Day and urges individuals and families who have had no prior involvement with Special Olympics or Best Buddies to contact their local Special Olympics program or visit www.eksday.org and participate; and be it further Resolved, That the Secretary of the Senate transmit copies of this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.