KUSA - March 6th is a day of awareness. A day people are encourage to take a word out of their vocabulary. The R-Word.
To many, the word is shocking when used in conversation, yet for others it rolls off the tongue with ease. Special Olympics hopes one day the word "retard" or "retarded" will erased from all vocabulary.
According to the R-word.org website, "The R-word is the word 'retard(ed)'. Why does it hurt? The R-word hurts because it is exclusive. It's offensive. It's derogatory. Our campaign asks people to pledge to stop saying the R-word as a starting point toward creating more accepting attitudes and communities for all people. Language affects attitudes and attitudes affect actions. Pledge today to use respectful, people-first language. To take the pledge to End the Word, visit www.R-word.org
Another way to help Special Olympics and their athletes is by attending the 2013 Mardi Gras Bash on Saturday, March 9th at the Renaissance Denver Hotel. Last year's event raised over $70,000 to support Denver metro area programs and to help offset costs associated with travel for Special Olympics Colorado (SOCO) athletes qualify for the 2013 World Games in South Korea. Tickets can be purchased on line at www.specialolympicsco.org or by calling 720-359-3114.
On March 6, Susie Wargin was joined by SOCO's President and CEO Mindy Watrous as well as one of their long time athletes, Allison Hess. To hear more about the Mardi Gras Bash, Allison's experiences and the R-word campaign, visit the video player above this article.
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