Editorial: The games bring out our best
In coming days several thousand extraordinary athletes will compete on an international level when the Special Olympic World Games unfold at venues throughout the Los Angeles area for the first time in 16 years.
From the Balboa Center in Encino to the sands at Long Beach, in arenas and fields at UCLA and its rival USC, in downtown Los Angeles and at the Equestrian Center in Burbank, records may be broken, cheers will most assuredly be heard, quiet tears of joy and disappointment will be perhaps be shed.
It’s a heady time for the athletes, their trainers and their many supporters. It’s also exciting for those who are not taking an active participatory role, but will be able to watch them, either in person or on ESPN, until the Games close on Aug. 2.
Such undertakings don’t happen without some help from friends. We can take collective pride in the fact that people here opened their hearts and wallets to make this event a success. Members of our local police departments not only literally carried the torch for the games, but also earmarked money from their annual Tip-a-Cop programs for them. Civic clubs and nonprofit organizations raised funds on their own and businesses chipped in as well.
Burbank and Glendale were among the 100 municipalities to step up as “Host Towns” for this year’s World Games. Burbank welcomed athletes from Botswana and Zimbabwe while Glendale opened its doors to participants from Armenia, the Dominican Republic and Bonaire. Glendale Adventist Medical Center stepped up as a Home Town sponsor. Woodbury University and the Burbank YMCA played key roles in making the athletes comfortable, with bed linens provided by Providence St. Joseph Medical Center.
The Special Olympics World Games is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for many of the athletes involved and a chance for all of us to come together in a spirit of warm inclusiveness. It looks like we’ve already got a head start on achieving the latter. Let’s continue lending our encouragement to these dedicated, inspiring athletes and, when it’s all over, send them all home with wide smiles and good feelings about the Southland.