Editor’s note: Welcome to the first installment of Inside News, which will highlight stories of Special Olympics Southern California athletes and programs generated by media outlets and other outside sources.
By now, you might be aware of the LA84 Foundation Library’s exhibit of SOSC founder Rafer Johnson.
Earlier this year, Los Angeles Times columnist Bill Plaschke spent time with the Johnson family at his Sherman Oaks home to discuss, among other things, the exhibit, his legacy and the impact he’s made on Special Olympics athletes.
“I wanted to make the best contribution to life I could make,” Johnson told Plaschke. “I didn’t just want to be good, but I wanted to give others the feeling that they could also be as good as they could be.”
Meanwhile, last month, Trabuco Hills High School and its designation as one of SOSC’s Unified Champion Schools was recognized by the California Department of Education.
State Superintendent of Public Education Tony Thurmond honored the program with the 2019 Grazer Outstanding Achievement in Learning (GOAL) award, given annually by the California Advisory Commission on Special Education (ACSE), for service to students with disabilities.
“The inclusion practices initiated through this program provide a tremendous benefit to not only the students participating, but the entire school community,” Thurmond said in a release. “When students with and without disabilities are provided authentic opportunities to learn and play together, this creates a climate where inclusion is the norm and diversity is honored.”