Waiting in a long line for the valet to deliver your car is generally not a pleasant experience.
But last Thursday night, after having attended the LA Chamber of Commerce's annual dinner at which Wallis Annenberg received the Civic Medal of Honor Award (stay tuned for another blog regarding this well deserved honor), I experienced a magical moment while waiting for my car.
A teenaged girl tapped my arm, drew me close and introduced herself as Lucy Meyer, and we chatted for the 30 minutes or so that we (along with her mother and my husband) were waiting for our cars.
An eighth grader at Daniel Webster Middle School, Lucy, who has had cerebral palsy from birth, is a 2015 Special Olympics World Games Global Messenger, a Unicef Spokesperson for Children with Disabilities, and a gold medal winning Special Olympics athlete. She is also Student Council Vice President, an award-winning writer, a phenomenal fundraiser and so much more. (After returning home, I Googled Lucy and found that she has testified before Congress and met with President Obama.)
Lucy shared with me her excitement that the Special Olympics World Games are coming to Los Angeles and encouraged me to become involved and spread the word. I'm honored to do so.
Here's the scoop:
With 7,000 athletes and 3,000 coaches representing 177 countries, along with 30,000 volunteers and an anticipated 500,000 spectators, the 2015 Special Olympics World Games - being staged in Los Angeles July 25 - August 2, 2015 - will be the largest sports and humanitarian event anywhere in the world in 2015, and the single biggest event in Los Angeles since the 1984 Olympic Games.
There are lots of ways to support the World Games--volunteering, attending events, creating more buzz, and providing funding for athletes. Click here for more information.
And remember, if you are lucky, the next time you are waiting in a long line for your car, you may just meet a magical person like Lucy Meyer.
