We learned this morning that Mrs. Shriver passed away over night. I love that all the stories today discuss that she was the founder of the Special Olympics. After all, mentioning the name “Kennedy” in your morning broadcast would be enough to catch the attention of commuters still in their morning fog. But they are all paying tribute to her great accomplishment, giving air time to a fantastic organization, reminding listeners that special needs kids and adults are in our communities, and that someone important loved them and devoted all of her resources and vast network to them.
Thank you to Mrs. Shriver and to so many in the Kennedy family for championing the needs of the special needs community and other groups that often need someone with some name recognition to get them into the spotlight. And to all of you who work tirelessly on behalf of the special needs community but don’t get your kudos on the front page – thank you!