Special Olympics

During the summer of 1979, the State University of New York, College at Brockport was honored to be chosen to host the fifth International Special Olympics Games. Brockport had been an avid supporter of the Special Olympics, having served as the host site for the 1975 and 1976 New York State Special Olympics games.

More than 3,500 mentally challenged individuals, ranging in age from 10 to 80, who qualified for participation in Special Olympic activities gathered in Brockport for the International Games. They came from each of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, and more than 30 other countries and took part in a week long spectacular of competitions, social events, dances, clinics, demonstrations, and a marvelous Adventure Day Trip to Niagara Falls.

Julius Erving – Basketball

Mrs. Jimmy Carter – Honorary Chair Person

Frank Gifford – Assistant Head Coach

Pele – Soccer

Wilma Rudolph – Track and Field

The first Special Olympics Games were held in the summer of 1968, when one thousand mentally challenged children from all over America traveled to Soldier Field in Chicago to take part in what was then a daring experiment.

In 1978, then 10 years later, there were year-round Special Olympics programs in 93% of the counties in every state, in every province in Canada and in over 20 countries throughout the world.