How did you get involved with Special Olympics?
What got me involved in Special Olympics was I had meet a wonderful little lady that is severely mentally challenged years ago. (See above photo.) This little lady I love with all my heart as if she was my birth daughter. She touched my heart and soul with her smile, her mother and her changed my life and made me in to the caring and giving man I am today. I learned from this little lady I had a gift. That gift is I’m able to read people’s eyes that are severely mentally challenged and know what they are trying to say or what they want because they are not able to talk with their voices. I able to bring a lot of happiness to there life’s cause I understand them when so many people do not. In December 2004, I was introduced to Special Olympics in Honolulu by my best friend and her daughter, who is severely mentally challenged, at an event called the Jingle Bell Walk. From that event, I have branched out over the years to reach as many athletes with disabilities and those without that I can so no one is ever left out.
What is MSC?
The Web site MSC, Making Smiles Count, was my way of honoring the one I think of as my daughter. Anytime I see her, she melts my heart with her smile. MSC came about from her initials, but out of respect I would not use her name. So I came up with the name Making Smiles Count. The photos started out as a way to show the happiness I was bringing to so many athletes. As a gift from me to the athletes and their parents, they could go to the Web site and print out there pictures. But over the years, I noticed the need to educate people of the different levels of athletes. Most volunteers in Special Olympics do not understand the severely mentally challenged at all and they treat the athlete as if they were a new born baby. I show people the right way to treat and help the severely challenged athletes all the time.
My goal with this Web site is the following “Where no one is left out.” I have been going around the country getting involved in different states of Special Olympics. My focus right now is on a program called MATP ( Motor Activity training program). I have noticed a large amount of states dropping this program. This is the only program in Special Olympics for the lowest level of athlete. In the next couple of months, I will be making contact with Special Olympics North America which is based in North Carolina with hopes I can prove to them that this program needs to stay threw out all of Special Olympics. The one I call my daughter is not signed up in Special Olympics anymore because her mother told me there is nothing for her level. This saddens me a great deal that she and many others are being left out.
I have always hoped one day out of the year all of Special Olympics organization throughout the United States would unite with one another as one. This would allow one state doing very well with donations to help another one that is not. Will this day ever come?
Describe your interaction and experience with Special Olympics West Hawaii.
I came about Special Olympics West Hawaii during the kickoff barbecue at the start of February 2010. I was driving by and saw the Special Olympics West Hawaii sign at Kahaluu Beach Park. When I stopped to see what was going, I was amazed just how happy everyone was and how good of a time everyone was having. The athletes were even hugging each other. I met David Ross, the director of Special Olympics West Hawaii, that day and from there I was welcomed with open arms with my style of training. The athletes in West Hawaii are wonderful to train and help. Many of them are very playful and love to joke around. My style of training is very different than most. The athletes loved how much fun I made their T-ball training.
Please enjoy the following photos taken by Jeremy at T-Ball and the kickoff barbecue. To view the entire album, click here.
