By Annie Drury
March 6 marks Special Olympics’ annual Global Day of Inclusion. Our team is proud to partner in spreading the word on the importance of inclusion—in our workplaces and, more broadly, our communities.
Through our multi-year partnership with Special Olympics, we’ve rolled up our sleeves to judge bocce ball, kept score, and had the highest honor of giving medals to inspiring athletes from chapters across the globe. But most importantly, we’ve learned Special Olympics is more than just a series of athletic events – it’s a global movement of people creating a new world of inclusion and community, where every single person is accepted and welcomed regardless of ability.
Special Olympics gold medalist in alpine skiing Vince Egan, recently went on a media blitz with our Allison Sports team during the Super Bowl alongside Denver Broncos linebacker Alex Singleton. Amidst the excitement of radio row, their important message resonated: choose healthier snacks and let them fuel you to feel stronger on the playing field.
Addressing a critical need for nutrition resources and education for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, Vince stars in Special Olympics’ new nutrition campaign called School of Strength: Snack Zone.
Vince shared, “Everyone should have the opportunity to be healthy and fit so we can compete at our best.”
Special Olympics International Vice President of International Media Relations and Communications Christy Weir said, ““In the United States, 60% of Special Olympics athletes are overweight or obese. Athletes who are overweight or obese are at an increased risk for many serious diseases and health conditions such as Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and gallbladder disease. The School of Strength campaign was created in response to Special Olympics athletes’ requests for the development of more fitness and health content that excites and inspires them to stay fit year-round, helping them to commit to a lifetime of healthy habits.”
“Having Vince join us on Super Bowl Media Row before one of the most watched events in television history, meeting his heroes and sharing his experience in starring in the Snack Zone nutrition campaign was a huge win for our organization in helping shatter the stereotypes that exist for people with intellectual disabilities. I’m thankful to our partners at Allison for securing so many high visibility opportunities for Vince to share his story!”
Vince’s positive attitude and proactivity on his health inspired our team, as well as Jason Kelce, Pat McAfee, and beyond. He’s also not afraid to school professional football players like Alex Singleton on proper portion sizes.
We challenge you to take the pledge to spread the word on inclusion. We go all in on inclusion on March 5, and every day of the year, and we hope you’ll join us in building communities where everyone feels valued and celebrated.
Annie Drury is a senior vice president and global co-lead of Allison’s Volunteer Committee based in San Diego. She’s passionate about using creativity to make an impact for clients and empowering teams to enhance their communities through service.
