Monthly Archives: March 2022

New $5 million grant underscores Bank of America's longstanding support of leadership programming

WASHINGTON, March 29, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Special Olympics and Bank of America announce a $5 million grant to expand existing leadership programs into urban school districts with a focus on reaching underserved communities and communities of color to address ongoing, compounding disparities faced by individuals with intellectual disabilities (ID). The grant will support leveraging emerging technology to assist in the critical work of removing barriers to inclusion and helping Special Olympics athletes and their families advance their economic opportunity and quality education.

The three-year, $5 million grant from Bank of America extends through 2024 and will enable Special Olympics to access new tools to better track demographics and use that data to develop programming to address the disparities inordinately impacting people with intellectual disabilities. Also, the grant will support the Unified Champion Cities Schools Initiative and expand Special Olympics Athlete Leadership programming to disadvantaged communities by providing holistic, wrap-around services to people with and without ID, their families, and the broader community.

Bank of America funding will also enable Special Olympics to host the next Global Athlete Congress, planned for 17-23 June 2023 in conjunction with the World Games in Berlin, Germany. The Global Athlete Congress will serve as a platform to accelerate leadership programming worldwide.

"Bank of America's support comes at a critical time for leveling the playing field and making a whole-person approach to leadership accessible to underserved communities," said Mary Davis, CEO of Special Olympics. "Bank of America recognizes that Special Olympics athletes are among some of the best advocates and educators of inclusion. We stand alongside them in demonstrating the benefits and importance of including people with ID in all disability discussions around the topic of disability."

Through its longstanding support of Special Olympics, Bank of America has played a pivotal role in the development and expansion of the Athlete Leadership program, including the evolution of the Unified Leadership approach. This programming has enabled Special Olympics to transition from an organization for people with intellectual disabilities to a movement led by people with ID.

"We have invested in the mission of Special Olympics and the global movement for inclusion for nearly 40 years," said Andrew McCartney, global human resources executive and co-chair of Bank of America's Disability Executive Advisory Council. "Extending and deepening our support for Unified Athlete Leadership is a pivotal component to underscoring our long-standing commitment to diversity and inclusion beyond our walls and within the communities we serve."

Bank of America's decades-long support of Special Olympics is rooted in shared values. These values are encapsulated in Special Olympics Pakistani athlete Jasmin Sharif, who having benefited from the Athlete Leadership programs said, "inside every human being, the heartbeat is the same." The company is committed to creating an environment where all teammates, including those with non-visible and visible disabilities, have an opportunity to succeed and achieve their goals. Their Support Services team, an in-house marketing and fulfillment operations team for over 30 years, is staffed with more than 300 employees with developmental disabilities. Bank of America's Disability Action Network supports employees with disabilities, as well as employees who have family members, friends or clients with disabilities, by connecting them to opportunities for professional growth and development, holding information forums and providing opportunities for community involvement. Additionally, through its Better Money Habits Volunteer Champions, the bank delivers virtual Better Money Habits presentations curated for people with diverse learning capabilities across 14 markets.

As Special Olympics rebuilds from the impact of the pandemic and returns to play, Bank of America's ongoing commitment continues to play a pivotal role in supporting Special Olympics emergency funding for local programs that serve as critical connections to opportunities in sports, health, education, and leadership for people with intellectual disabilities and their families.

Special Olympics

Founded in 1968, Special Olympics is a global movement to end discrimination against people with intellectual disabilities. We foster acceptance of all people through the power of sport and programming in education, health, and leadership. With more than six million athletes and Special Olympics Unified Sports partners in over190 countries and territoriesand more than one million coaches and volunteers, Special Olympics deliversmore than 30 Olympic-type sportsand over100,000 games and competitionsevery year. Engage with us on:Twitter,Facebook,YouTube,Instagram,LinkedInandour blog on Medium. Learn more atwww.SpecialOlympics.org.

Bank of America

At Bank of America (NYSE: BAC), we're guided by a common purpose to help make financial lives better, through the power of every connection. We're delivering on this through responsible growth with a focus on our environmental, social and governance (ESG) leadership. ESG is embedded across our eight lines of business and reflects how we help fuel the global economy, build trust and credibility, and represent a company that people want to work for, invest in and do business with. It's demonstrated in the inclusive and supportive workplace we create for our employees, the responsible products and services we offer our clients, and the impact we make around the world in helping local economies thrive. An important part of this work is forming strong partnerships with nonprofits and advocacy groups, such as community, consumer and environmental organizations, to bring together our collective networks and expertise to achieve greater impact.Learn more atabout.bankofamerica.com, and connect with us on Twitter (@BofA_News).

For more Bank of America news, including dividend announcements and other important information, visit the Bank of America Newsroom and register for email news alerts.

Reporters may contact:

Jason Teitler, Special OlympicsPhone: 1.347.739.9483[emailprotected]

Vanessa Cook,Bank of AmericaPhone: 1.980.683.2247[emailprotected]

SOURCE Bank of America Corporation

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Special Olympics Announces Three-Year Bank of America Grant to Advance Inclusion Efforts Across Underserved Communities - PR Newswire

Olympian Brittany Bowe Visits Trinity Catholic

Beijing Olympics Bronze Medalist in the 1,000 meter Speed Skating event, Brittany Bowe, visited her alma mater Friday.

Doug Engle, Ocala Star-Banner

Ocala's three Olympic speedskaters Brittany Bowe, Erin Jackson and Joey Mantia were honored at many events this past weekend. In case you missed it, here are links to the Star-Banner's coverage.

The three athletes spoke at a special breakfast Friday morning. Among other things, Mantia explained what his life was like in his part of the Olympic Village, since he was the senior member of his squad.

'Finally, I'm an Olympic medalist': Ocala's Joey Mantia wins bronze in team speedskate

Medal time: Ocala's Brittany Bowe wins bronze in 1,000 meter speedskate

GOLD!: Ocala's Erin Jackson wins 500-meter speedskate in Beijing Olympics

"There's a really broad gap of different ages and maturity levels there, so I was rooming with these guys the whole Olympics, and it was just like a frat house, so I'm just like constantly cleaning up, he joked. What I lack in height, I make up for in responsibility.

More from Danielle Johnson: Breakfast of champions: Ocala's Olympic speedskaters discuss success, 2026 prospects

Mantia and Jackson both attended Howard Middle School. The Star-Banner was there to document their visit to their alma mater. There also are some photos of Mantia at Vanguard High School.

Doug Engle's gallery: Ocala Olympic medal winners Erin Jackson and Joey Mantia visit their alma maters

Bowe, Class of 2006, was back at Trinity Catholic High School for a visit. Students were allowed to ask her questions, and one guy asked if she would be his prom date.

Doug Engle's gallery: Olympic bronze medalist Brittany Bowe visits her alma mater, Ocala's Trinity Catholic H.S.

Read Marty Pallman's story: Back to school: Ocala Trinity Catholic honors Olympian Brittany Bowe

See Doug Engle's video: Olympian Brittany Bowe Visits Trinity Catholic

Friday night, Jackson was inducted into the Hall of Fame at the Black History Museum of Marion County.

"You never imagine watching someone growing up would one daybe an Olympic champion," one of her aunts, Jackie Walker, said.

Read Austin Miller's story: Ocala's Erin Jackson inducted into the Black History Museum of Marion County's Hall of Fame

See Doug Engle's gallery: Olympian Erin Jackson inducted into Black History Museum of Marion County's Hall of Fame

Bowe, Mantia and Jackson got their start as inline skaters in Ocala. On Saturday, they were back at the Skate A Way South roller rink in Ocala, participating in a special event with kids set up by the Kids Central social service agency.

Doug Engle was there and prepared this photo gallery.

On Saturday, Bowe, Jackson and Mantia rode into downtown Ocala atop a military vehicle. It was the tail end of the parade that the city threw to honor its Olympians.

The parade was followed by a ceremony on the downtown square where all three athletes were given keys to the city.

Read Austin Miller's story: Parade of champions: Ocalas three Olympians honored with parade and downtown ceremony

See Doug Engle's gallery: Ocala parade honors Olympic speedskaters Erin Jackson, Joey Mantia and Brittany Bowe

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ICYMI: Look back at the celebrations for Ocala's three Olympic medalists - Ocala

Chinas political messaging was very much on show during the Beijing Winter Olympics, which was met with a diplomatic boycott by a number of countries. A journalist of Japanese media who viewed the games from within the country recounts the various forms of signaling.

In January, I started working in Shenyang in Chinas northeastern Liaoning Province. As US-Chinese antagonism intensified, friction was growing over the upcoming Beijing Winter Olympics. I had a great interest myself in the games. I remembered four years earlier, when I had been reporting on the opening ceremony for the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics held in South Korea.

South Korean President Moon Jae-in called for a unified Korean team, and Kim Jong-un of North Korea, under his then title of Chairman of the Workers Party of Korea, accepted his overture. International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach was persuaded via his desire to take credit for a Peace Olympics, so that shortly before the start of the Olympics, it was decided that the Korean contingents would enter the stadium for the opening ceremony together and a joint Korean team would participate in the womens ice hockey competition.

Flag-bearers from the two countries carried a Unification Flag with a picture of the Korean peninsula, and led the athletes into the stadium. Spectators were excited to see a Korean teameven if it was the product of overlapping political motivationsmaking for an emotional atmosphere.

While many South Korean citizens were opposed to a reconciliation with the North driven by politics, the performance of this peace festival was effective to a degree.

How about the Beijing Winter Olympics, held in February 2022? The United States, Britain, Australia, and other countries announced a diplomatic boycott, whereby they did not send heads of state or other such representatives, due to Chinese actions in Xinjiang and other human rights abuses. Japan also did not send a government delegation.

At the opening ceremony on February 4, there were leaders from more than 20 countries, including Russia. The presence of heads of state from countries friendly to China and the absence of those from the Western bloc painted a clear picture of the planets deep divides.

Tensions over Ukraine were also rising at the time of the Olympics. Before the opening ceremony, Chinese President Xi Jinping held talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin. According to the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Xi stressed that China and Russia have stayed committed to deepening strategic coordination of mutual support and standing shoulder to shoulder for international fairness and justice. Putin stated, Russia stands ready to work with China to scale up strategic communication and coordination, [and] firmly support each other in defending sovereignty and territorial integrity.

The Chinese-Russian joint statement declares that Friendship between the two States has no limits, [and] there are no forbidden areas of cooperation. It also plainly notes that The sides oppose further enlargement of NATO, as Putin has asserted.

The opening ceremony took place just after I arrived in China, so I could not be present at the stadium, and I watched it on television instead. There was an unusual moment when the Taiwanese team made its entrance. The stadium announcer introduced the group, as normal, as from Chinese Taipei, or Zhonghua Taibei in Chinese, but the presenter for Chinese state television station CCTV used the name Zhongguo Taibei. The former name, preferred by Taiwan, means that the country is culturally Chinese, but the latter denotes that it is a part of the Peoples Republic of China.

This situation was foreshadowed when Taiwan held for a time that it would not take part in the opening ceremony due to some Chinese government figures use of the name Zhongguo Taibei. Pleas from the IOC later persuaded it to participate.

While China allowed the use of Taiwans preferred name for external consumption, it used the name signifying the country was actually part of China for domestic audiences.

When the Taiwanese team entered the stadium, CCTV showed footage of Xi in the VIP seating. As the Hong Kong team followed, the cameras stayed on Xi. China criticized the diplomatic boycotts as a politicization of sports, but its opening ceremony included a number of political messages.

The finale of the opening ceremony involved powerful signaling, as the last Olympic torchbearer was Uyghur athlete Dinigeer Yilamujiang. The New York Times described this in a headline as a provocative choice, reporting that it confronted head-on one of the biggest criticisms of the countrys role as host, as the Western diplomatic boycott was based on the human rights abuses by the Chinese government against the Uyghur minority, including internment.

I too took the selection as indicating the governments intent to pay zero attention to criticism from the international community regarding Uyghur human rights.

Zhao Lijian, the deputy director of the Chinese MOFA Information Department said in a press conference three days later that the choice showed that China is a big family boasting ethnic unity.

During the games, Chinas blatant, political actions continued to catch the eye.

Olympic committee spokesperson Yan Jiarong stated in a February 17 press conference that stories of abuses against the Uyghur minority in Xinjiang were lies, and asserted that Taiwan was a part of China. There was criticism that such comments were inappropriate for someone speaking on behalf of the countrys government in a position that should be politically neutral.

Meanwhile, athletes were cautious about discussing human rights in China, after Yan had suggested they might be punished under domestic law.

In the initial selection process for the 2022 host city, concerns over huge costs were a factor in European cities with a strong winter sports tradition withdrawing their bids. Ultimately, only Beijing and the Kazakh city of Almaty remained for the final vote. Thus, Beijing became the first city to host both the Summer and Winter Olympics.

The IOC continued to cozy up to China. Prioritizing the smooth running of the games, it made no effort to encourage the country to address its human rights issues.

One memorable instance that symbolizes this attitude was when IOC President Bach was seen watching an event sitting with tennis player Peng Shuai, who disappeared for a period after posting on social media about a forced sexual encounter with a former high-ranking Chinese Communist Party member.

After the Olympics came to an end, China announced that the games were a great success. The state-run Xinhua News Agency hailed the cooperation of more than 1.4 billion Chinese people under the leadership of Xi Jinping and the CCP in overcoming the difficulties of holding the Olympics during the COVID-19 pandemic. The official CCP newspaper, the Peoples Daily, stated that China had displayed an open and hope-filled image to the world.

China was able to hold the Olympics while keeping infection under control with its forceful zero-COVID policy. President Xi is expected to include the Olympic success as one of his achievements when he seeks an unprecedented third five-year term in the party congress in the second half of 2022. As the Beijing Olympics was planned and implemented by President Xi himself, as reported by Xinhua, for his government, it could always only have been a success.

The international communitys attention has shifted from human rights issues in China to the situation in Ukraine, which had grown increasingly tense during the Olympics. This may be a favorable development for China in a way, but it has struggled to settle on a response.

On February 24, Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The Chinese government has remained consistent in not denouncing Russia, and abstained from a United Nations vote condemning the country. It has also not recognized Russias action as an invasion. At the same time, previously it had maintained good relations with Ukraine.

On March 4, the Beijing Paralympics began. At the opening ceremony, attended by President Xi, part of the speech made by International Paralympic Committee President Andrew Parsons was not translated into Chinese by the simultaneous interpreter. The footage was cut from the internet broadcast.

With Russias invasion of Ukraine in mind, Parsons called for peace, saying, The twenty-first century is a time for dialogue and diplomacy, not war and hate, and that The Olympic Truce for peace during the Olympic and Paralympic Games . . . must be respected and observed, not violated.

His closing cry of Peace! was also untranslated. Commentators have seen this as indicating concern that his words might inspire censure of Russia and sympathy for Ukraine, leading to criticism of the Chinese response.

Fourteen years have passed since the Beijing Summer Olympics in 2008. Chinas GDP has more than tripled, and its presence and voice on the international stage have grown accordingly.

And yet, it blocks unfavorable information so that it cannot be heard domestically. This may be a sign that the government is not as rock-solid as those around it believe. We must not forget that barbs about the politicization of sport could be pointed at China itself.

(Originally published in Japanese on March 14, 2022. Banner photo: Chinese President Xi Jinping waves from the VIP seats at the closing ceremony for the Beijing Winter Olympics on February 20, 2022. AFP/Jiji.)

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Reading China's Political Messaging at the Beijing Olympics - Nippon.com

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (WNCN) While Duke and UNC-Chapel Hill will meet up in the Final Four, another group of Duke and UNC athletes are also competing.

Students from both schools competed in the Special Olympics basketball tournament Saturday at East Chapel Hill High School.

Its the first time the event has been held since before the COVID-19 pandemic and the teams were excited to compete again.

Special Olympics Unified Sports joins people with and without intellectual disabilities on the same team to promote social inclusion through shared sports experiences. Unified teams are made up of people of similar age and abilities.

ESPN has served as the Global Presenting Sponsor of Special Olympics Unified Sports since 2013.

Special Olympics College Clubs function as an official student organization on campus and are led by students with and without intellectual disabilities. Many clubs also allow Special Olympics athletes from the community to participate as athlete leaders.

Members of Special Olympics College Clubs gain experiences participating in Unified Sports and hosting Special Olympics events, thus creating opportunities for the inclusion of people with and without intellectual disabilities in the campus community.

Elise Tuzo, who is the UNC Special Olympics College Club President, talked about how important the event is for everyone.

This is our rivalry series, our basketball game against Duke. And this specifically today is really exciting because its our first time bringing the rivalry back since the pandemic and everything. And, yeah, its a really great time we get to have unified teams from both schools come together and keep the rivalry alive, Tuzo said.

The UNC team will also be going to the USA Games in June and theyre planning on participating in other activities this year.

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UNC and Duke teams compete in Special Olympics basketball tournament in Chapel Hill - CBS17.com

If making bad laws were an athletic competition, the sessions of the Louisiana Legislature would be the Olympics a showcase for some of the worst and most illogical bills.

One highly competitive entry is House Bill 54, by state Rep. Larry Bagley, R-Stonewall.

As originally drafted, HB54 said that nobody working for a store, agency, restaurant or any public facility shall inquire about the COVID-19 vaccination status of anyone seeking admission on the entity's premises.

Asking that question would mean jail time and a fine.

Even lawmakers anxious to pander to vaccine skeptics found the Bagley bill an overreach.

State Rep. Alan Seabaugh, R-Shreveport, removed the jail time penalty of six months. But he left the $1,000 fine.

State Rep. Nicholas Muscarello, R-Hammond, changed the enforcement mechanism from arrest to a summons.

I agree with the intent of your bill, state Rep. Richard Nelson, R-Mandeville, told Bagley. But, I would tell you that I disagree with the means.

State Rep. Scott McKnight, R-Baton Rouge, voiced concern that people who run businesses out of their homes would no longer be able to throw parties for their friends or holiday events for their families that include instructions on wearing masks or having received vaccinations.

Bagley ultimately pulled the bill and vowed to visit with critics and address their concerns. He said he hopes to be back with a new version this week.

Better to leave it alone. Vaccines are safe and effective, but skeptics say Americans should have the right not to take the injections. Thats fine, but in a free country, people also have the right to ask about vaccine status without the threat of being hauled before a judge.

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Our Views: Measure to criminalize private vaccine mandates belongs in the Bad Bill Olympics - The Advocate

Great Britain scored 24 goals in their five World Championships matches in Sweden

Team GB international Clare Ledbury hopes to see bandy become an Olympic sport after Britain's women made their World Championships debut in Sweden.

In an eight-team competition, Britain topped Group B with wins over the Netherlands, Switzerland and Estonia.

But the Dutch gained revenge with a 1-0 play-off final victory, leaving Team GB in sixth place overall.

"It's an English-born sport, it was created in the Fens," Ledbury told BBC Radio Cambridgeshire.

"The only problem we have right now is funding. It's not a well known sport so we're going to be pushing really hard to try to get some sponsors involved because unfortunately in the UK ice time is super-expensive.

"We'll be reaching out to businesses and seeing if they want to be involved in what will be a successful sport going forward."

Bandy is an 11-a-side game played with sticks on ice the size of a football pitch and, unlike ice hockey, uses a ball instead of a puck.

The sport attracted attention in 2018 when it was demonstrated to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge in Sweden.

"There's a huge push across the Scandinavian countries to get into the Olympics and they are close to doing so - so we could have an English-born sport in the Olympics," centre midfielder Ledbury said.

"We just need to keep growing the sport, getting more people participating. It reaches a different type of audience because it's a non-contact sport and appeals to people who might find ice hockey a little bit scary.

"Hopefully we can get some sessions in the UK for people to come and have a go. You can have the best fun ever."

Team GB at least had the consolation of taking home silver medals from the championships in Vaxjo.

Topping their group meant a play-off semi-final against the fourth-placed Swiss, which they won 9-0 with three goals for Saga Hartley.

The final against the Netherlands was settled by a golden goal by Meinke Gommans after the match was scoreless at full-time.

"It was just an unfortunate bounce that took it into the net around our goalie and we were all absolutely gutted at the time. Emotions were running so high," added Ledbury.

"There were plenty of tears, but after the short-term pain was over we took our medals and we're incredibly proud of what we achieved in the tournament."

Hosts Sweden won the overall title by thrashing Norway 12-0, with Finland third following a 5-2 victory over the US.

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Team GB women bandy team want sport included in Olympics - BBC