The winning team or individual will receive a free trip to Anchorage, Alaska, to attend the 2001 Special Olympics World Winter Games, which will bring together more than 2,000 athletes with mental retardation from over 75 countries around the world to compete in seven winter sports. D.C. Entries already have been received from students at top-tier MBA schools across the country and are currently being narrowed down to a group of finalists for submission to the judges on the 24th. Up to ten finalists will get to present their ideas to the panel of judges. The goal of the contest is to define a new global fundraising concept for Special Olympics, leveraging its strong political base and powerful sports relationships, broad volunteer networks, events, and existing corporate relationships.
Substance is far more important than presentation.
The format of submissions is flexible, although limited to four pages. At a minimum, however, the submissions should include a rationale behind the ideas and a vision for how they might be implemented. The Special Olympics is an international year-round program of sports training and competition for individuals with mental retardation. One million athletes in more than 160 countries train and compete in 25 Olympic-type summer and winter sports. Founded in 1968 by Eunice Kennedy Shriver, Special Olympics gives people with mental retardation continual opportunities to develop fitness, demonstrate courage, and experience joy as they participate in the sharing of gifts, and friendship with their own families.