Special Olympics Inc. is a global organization providing sports training and competition to more than 1.5 million people with mental retardation. Eunice Kennedy Shriver founded Special Olympics in 1968 to change the way the world treated people with mental disabilities. The next games will be in Dublin, Ireland, in 2003. Anyone who has been identified as having mental retardation can be a Special Olympic athlete. Athletes must be 8 years old to compete but can start training at 5.
Plans call for all results to be posted on the site.
All athletic cmpetitions are free and open to the public. Special Olympics Town at the Egan Center will feature exhibits, entertainment, food and other attractions. Certain days are set aside for the general public. Admission to the opening and closing ceremonies is free, but only those who have obtained tickets in advance will be admitted. Public tickets for the ceremonies have already been distributed.