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92_HR0860
LRB9216676BHbhB
1 HOUSE RESOLUTION
2 WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
3 Representatives are pleased to congratulate Justice Anne M.
4 Burke of Chicago, an Appellate Court Judge, for the creation
5 of the Special Olympics; and
6 WHEREAS, In 1965, Justice Burke (then Anne McGlone) was a
7 physical education teacher who worked in a summer program for
8 the Chicago Park District and was actively involved in
9 developing programs with the Park District for mentally
10 handicapped children; and
11 WHEREAS, Justice Anne Burke experienced great results
12 working with children with mental handicaps at West Pullman
13 Park; by 1967, there were 10 locations throughout the
14 Chicagoland area with 150 children participating in free
15 summer programs sponsored by the Chicago Park District; she
16 knew there was a greatly underserved population who could
17 benefit from the Special Olympics, and parents needed to be
18 shown what their children were capable of accomplishing
19 through sports and recreation; and
20 WHEREAS, Along with other passionate women and men who
21 were in love with the dream of what their services could do
22 for others, Justice Burke brought the first Special Olympic
23 Games to Chicago's Soldier Field on July 20, 1968, with the
24 help of a $25,000 grant from the Joseph P. Kennedy Jr.
25 Foundation; and
26 WHEREAS, The Chicago Special Olympics in 1968 were a
27 tremendous success, attracting 1,000 athletes from 26 states
28 and Canada; the city of Chicago, the Chicago Park District
29 the Kennedy Foundation, and a legion of volunteers rolled out
30 the red carpet for the athletes who competed in track and
31 field events and aquatics; athletes of similar ability levels
32 competed against one another and were recognized for their
-2- LRB9216676BHbhB
1 accomplishments; and
2 WHEREAS, Today, the Special Olympics serve more than one
3 million persons with mental handicaps in over 160 countries,
4 a number expected to double by the year 2005; therefore, be
5 it
6 RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
7 NINETY-SECOND GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
8 we congratulate Justice Anne Burke for her selflessness and
9 dedication to those citizens who suffer mental handicaps, and
10 for her founding of the Special Olympics; and be it further
11 RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
12 presented to Justice Anne M. Burke as an expression of our
13 esteem.