BILL NUMBER: SCR 125	ENROLLED
	BILL TEXT

	ADOPTED IN SENATE  AUGUST 26, 2010
	ADOPTED IN ASSEMBLY  AUGUST 31, 2010

INTRODUCED BY   Senators Hollingsworth and Steinberg

                        AUGUST 20, 2010

   Relative to Eunice Kennedy Shriver Day.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   SCR 125, Hollingsworth. Eunice Kennedy Shriver Day.
   This measure would designate September 25, 2010, as Eunice Kennedy
Shriver Day and would urge individuals and families who have had no
prior involvement with Special Olympics or Best Buddies to contact
their local Special Olympics program or visit www.eksday.org and
participate.



   WHEREAS, On Saturday, September 25, 2010, the State of California
will participate in the first annual Global Eunice Kennedy Shriver
(EKS) Day, an annual celebration of her life and a global call to
action for people to commit actions of inclusion, acceptance, and
unity for and with people with intellectual disabilities; and
   WHEREAS, Eunice Kennedy Shriver Day has been created to inspire
new fans to experience her legacy and embrace the movement she
founded in her backyard; and
   WHEREAS, What started as an inclusive sports camp in the early
1960s has blossomed into a worldwide movement transforming lives in
over 170 countries; and
   WHEREAS, Eunice Kennedy Shriver, founder of the Special Olympics
movement and long-time supporter of Best Buddies, was the leading
international advocate for the rights of people with intellectual
disabilities;
   WHEREAS, In awarding her the first "Sportsman of the Year Legacy
Award," Sports Illustrated called her "... one of those
revolutionaries who saw opportunity where others saw barriers,
someone who started a movement and changed a world"; and
   WHEREAS, Eunice Kennedy Shriver's actions helped open the minds of
all people to the gifts and talents of individuals with intellectual
disabilities; and
   WHEREAS, Eunice Kennedy Shriver demonstrated an unrelenting,
indomitable spirit in action whereby one person could make a
difference and change the world; and
   WHEREAS, For more than half a century, until her passing in 2009,
Eunice Kennedy Shriver was a tireless champion for those among us who
have been neglected and ignored for too long; and
   WHEREAS, Her love for all people, her belief in justice, and her
relentlessly energetic pursuit of a better life for people with
intellectual disabilities serves as an example for all of us; and
   WHEREAS, Her lasting legacy must be our continued commitment to
improve and transform the lives of the 200 million people worldwide
with intellectual disabilities that still live with diminished
opportunities and social disrespect, and are often neglected and
hidden away; and
   WHEREAS, On September 25, 2010, Special Olympics and Best Buddies
will lead the world in a celebration of the inspiration, impact, and
indomitable spirit of Eunice Kennedy Shriver; and
   WHEREAS, Eunice Kennedy Shriver Day will be celebrated in this
state with a number of activities involving both people with and
without intellectual disabilities; and
   WHEREAS, Thousands of people around the world will commit to
perform Eunice Kennedy Shriver Acts (EKS Acts) of inclusion and
acceptance for and with persons with intellectual disabilities, by,
among other things, inviting them to lunch, volunteering in a special
education classroom or vocational center, conducting an awareness
campaign at local businesses or schools, becoming a coach for Special
Olympics, and offering support to a parent of a child with
intellectual disabilities; and
   WHEREAS, EKS Acts are known as Eunice Kennedy Shriver Acts of
Unity, which contribute to furthering her legacy; now, therefore, be
it
   Resolved by the Senate of the State of California, the Assembly
thereof concurring, That the Legislature designates September 25,
2010, as Eunice Kennedy Shriver Day and urges individuals and
families who have had no prior involvement with Special Olympics or
Best Buddies to contact their local Special Olympics program or visit
www.eksday.org and participate; and be it further
   Resolved, That the Secretary of the Senate transmit copies of this
resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.