DePaul University Athletics
Special Olympics Brings the World Closer Together
Special Olympics Brings the World Closer Together  July 25, 2018 CHICAGO - It was a festive, feel-good moment in time worthy of one of the most noble and enriching movements the world has ever seen. The Special Olympics went all-in with its 50th Anniversary celebration last week that concluded with last Saturday's Global Day of Inclusion at Soldier Field. DePaul men's and women's basketball players, golf team student-athletes, coaches, staff members and administrators joined Special Olympians from 25 countries, celebrities and thousands of Chicagoans in sharing a profound belief. Strolling around the Soldier Field campus with its grand expanse of booths, games, tents and displays while also taking in the touch football, soccer and other sports stations inside the Bears' home field---there was one common denominator. Everyone just seemed so darn happy. From the smiles and infectious laughter of children to Max Strus doing his best Mitch Trubisky impersonation to the Soldier Field Jumbotron displaying the image of a beaming Illinois Supreme Court Justice Anne Burke dancing on the sidelines with a young girl---all that mattered on this day was simply having a good time. Everyone who came down to the lakefront, including celebrities such as Andre Dawson, Michael Phelps, Michelle Kwan, Ozzie Guillen, Jabari Parker, Horace Grant, Dikembe Mutombo, Sam Perkins and Bob Beamon, collaborated to make a statement that our society would do well to embrace. Everywhere you went, you were immersed in the spirit of Special Olympics. This unmistakable atmosphere of kindness and caring was truly inspiring. We were experiencing humanity at its best. "Any time we can come out and help, it's a great opportunity," said Strus who is optimistic about the upcoming Blue Demon basketball season. "For us to go around the community, share what we know and help kids put a smile on their face makes a difference in their day and in their lives. "It's awesome. You don't see that every day. You've got schools that just worry about basketball. We worry about everybody, want to include everybody and just try and make this a better place. It's really fun to get out here and show that we care." Max's older sister and DePaul assistant volleyball coach Maggie Strus took ownership of the first All-Sports Day in May that hosted 127 Special Olympians at McGrath-Phillips Arena. Maggie has worked extensively with Special Olympians and also children with autism. "Our parents taught us to treat everyone equal," Max said. "There's really no reason to treat anybody wrong. Our parents are unbelievable people who raised us the right way and made us the people we are today. "I couldn't be more thankful for the parents that I have. My sister does a great job with it and I just follow in my brother and sister's footsteps. I'm the young one so I have to keep being a good role model and keep doing good things for the community." Women's basketball player Tanita Allen thoroughly enjoyed playing goalkeeper and surrendering goal after goal to her young opponents. Strus' teammates Jalen Coleman-Lands and Femi Olujobi joined women's basketball guard Rebekah Dahlman at the ping-pong table. Golf coach Marty Schiene brought along senior Ronnie Griggs to man the golf station. Blue Demon spirit director Shannon Lersch had her award-winning Special Olympics cheerleading team put on a demonstration inside Soldier Field. Women's basketball standout Kelly Campbell volunteered at Soldier Field just one week after returning from a service immersion trip to the Dominican Republic where student-athletes worked at a children's orphanage. "It's really awesome to see how fun this event is for all the Special Olympic athletes," said Campbell who also went on a service trip to Guatemala last year. "I'm super grateful for Jeanne (athletics director Jean Lenti Ponsetto) and DePaul athletics to go back this year. "Really, as much of an impact that we make on them, they make a bigger impact on us. It was really great to be able to go back with more students from DePaul and let them have that experience. "My parents always stressed giving back to the community. I just feel like we're given so much here and I think it's necessary to give back." Griggs expressed similar feelings. "I know DePaul has been a big part of Special Olympics being right here in Chicago," he said. "It's a great way to be a part of all the kids and everyone who has a disability. "The universal language of sports is always great, and DePaul does such a good job at being a part of it." At the center of this five-day celebration was Special Olympics co-founder Burke. "I have such emotions going on right now," said Burke who organized the first Special Olympics in 1968 as a 24-year-old Chicago Park District instructor. "I'm just the happiest person in the whole world. "I remember literally 50 years ago there was no one in the stands and there were so little events going on except the kids themselves having a wonderful, wonderful time. We knew then something was happening. That's what sparked this wonderful Global Day of Inclusion. "I can't thank DePaul enough because DePaul University is why I went back to school and which provided me the opportunity to do more." Burke shrugged off any credit for sparking a worldwide movement that now includes more 5.3 million people in 172 countries. Instead, she focused on a monumental shift in attitude. "What I saw was the rest of the world--not just the kids, they were improving and they had hope---but their parents and rest of society," Burke said. "The rest of society accepted them for who they were---just another population of people that needed the help that they have provided. "The international games next year will be Abu Dhabi. I mean, we've had Special Olympics in China---places where they never even admitted they had people with learning disabilities. So, I think what we're doing with Special Olympics is a living movement of educating the world that we're all the same. All hearts beat the same and we need to recognize that." Burke traveled to the Vatican City last month for a special audience with Pope Francis that included Italy's World Cup team and its Special Olympian athletes. "My DePaul, Vincentian background growing up Irish-Catholic in Chicago made it so special to be in the presence of Pope Francis," Burke said. "I watched the pope embrace the special athletes---each one of them was touched by the pope. He spoke to each athlete with a personal message and kissed all of them. "There was a young man who had no arms and no legs. His caregiver picked him up and brought him to the pope. I still have chills going down my spine. "We talk about social justice, we talk about inclusion and the revolution of inclusion---the pope embodies that because of the Vincentian motto." Burke spoke about a very special guest to Saturday's festivities. "Mrs. Cusack is the mom of one of my first Olympians who was here today in a wheelchair, brought from his nursing home because he's had a stroke and he has cancer. But his family (not his mom and dad because they're both deceased) brought him here today. "When Mrs. Cusack came up to me when we were in Dublin, we were all there celebrating the 2003 Special Olympics with more than 80,000 people at Croke Park Stadium. She came up to me and said: `When Michael was born, I had thought the world ended. But when the parks opened up their doors and Michael started to play in the parks, my life began again.' "Can we say any more?" Â |