Thursday, March 14, 2013

A Special Person...

Megan & Jay

Megan Anne and Jay, her son, aged fourteen, are only two of the more than 8,000 Special Olympics volunteers in Washington State.
Their generosity, and the volunteerism of others, helps support more than 7,000 athletes participating in various sports.
Megan began her involvement when she was a fifteen-year-old high school student in Everett, Washington.
She had recently returned to the states from attending school in Dublin, Ireland, where, among other things, she saw, though maybe not totally consciously, how many disabled people were totally integrated into society.
In Dublin she occasionally ran into film crews working on “My Left Foot’, the story of Christy Brown and his struggles to be accepted by his family and society in the forties and fifties.
She definitely heard the Pogues singing their tribute to Christy in their song “Down All the Days.” Later U2 added that song to their 20th anniversary edition of “Actung Baby”.
St. Brendan’s School – Clinic, where Christy went to school, wasn’t that far away from where Megan lived in Sandymount.
The school she attended in Booterstown-Blackrock was academically robust.
When she returned to the states didn’t feel overly challenged academically, or socially, in her high school and looked to do something more important with her time. After looking at different opportunities she met Robert, a school counselor, who coached Special Olympic athletes.
It all came together-
Over the years Megan has continually volunteered to serve Special Olympic athletes, as she held down a full time position in a women’s clinic and raised her boy to be the stellar young man he is today.
For the last two years she’s been in a public school classroom assisting with the education and development of “Special Ed” kids coping with an assortment of challenges.
Watching her interact with these kids, and the adults on her Special Olympics team, illuminates all the lessons offered by the great Sages.
Last weekend her Special Olympic basketball team, the Black Knights, won the state championship. They were undefeated in the regionals, and in the double over time shoot out for the championship.
This is their first time basking in gold!
Well deserved!
The team members dedication, perseverance, and skills are a tribute to Robert, who is still coaching, and to Megan and Jay who have dedicated a lot of love and time to bring both to others in need.
Thank you Megan, Jay and Robert for being who you are-

M Barrett Miller



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