TO:  Everyone at Special Olympics Montana

You should not be thanking me, we should be thanking you! My daughters and I had a wonderful experience and would love to do it again, and again, and again!

I have to share a story about my youngest daughter. You have to understand that my 2 children are polar opposites. My oldest daughter, Madalyn, is very sensitive and a thinker. My youngest, however, is very bold and nothing phases her. She is loud and known for her, shall we say, extensive vocabulary. After the Opening Ceremonies we were exiting the parking lot and Rikkee, very seriously said to me, "Mom, there were a lot of special ed people there tonight." I guess I had never explained to her what the Special Olympics were all about. So that was a perfect opportunity for me to do just that. At the end of my explanation she exclaimed, "OH, NOW I GET IT! I THOUGHT THEY WERE JUST BEING NICE!" Out of the mouth of babes...

Okay, now you are in for it because I am very passionate about Special Olympics and people/animals with Special Needs. I want to share some things about me, with you:

I spent some time when I was younger around "special" people as my uncle's girlfriend worked at a group home and would bring the residents to my grandparents' house. I remember them all fondly. I was probably only Rikkee's age (6). In college, I worked at a group home and one of the residents, Gene (or Hotdog which was his nickname), remembered me from when I was a little girl and he would visit me at my grandparents' house. Now he was severely "dis"abled, or so you would think. I think these people are amazing.Others think they are "stupid" but we know they are not. My grandfather was a teacher for the Butte School District and fought for many years to get a young girl taken out of Special Ed classes because the ONLY thing wrong with her was she had curvature of the spine and very, very bad vision. She was brilliant, however, for the majority of her life she was treated as a special ed student because of her looks. My grandfather found her abilities and battled for her and won. She spent her remaining school years in regular classes. She could have had surgery to correct her physical disabilities, but...then her family would have lost to money they got from the state for her "disability." I don't think I have to tell you how the story ends. I see this young woman every now and then. She remained in Butte and I believe she is still living with her family and working at a little store here. She could have went to college and went on to be something great (not that she isn't) but, well it was probably very hard for her, being treated differently most of her life. What a shame that society treats people the way they do because they refuse to look beyond a book's cover. I vowed, many years ago, to be an advocate for other beings who couldn't speak for themselves or whom people would not listen to. I wish I would have followed a different path so I could spend more time doing it. I guess there is still time...

When Cheryl sent out the email inviting all of us to the Opening Ceremonies, I jumped at the chance of representing Glacier Bank at this wonderful event. It was a total self-serving maneuver as, trust me, it meant the world to me to stand proud, with my daughters, with those wonderful athletes. When I am watching these amazing athletes, I don't consider them dis-abled, I consider them more "abled" than any of us. They have more important abilities than any "abled" person can even imagine...the ability to put the competition aside and to help your fellow brothers and sisters be the best they can be...the ability to put other's needs above your own and work as a team and win as a team and feel just as good as if it was only you out there winning. Yeah, they aren't "dis"abled, it's us, the competitive, one-uppers who always have to be #1 who are "dis"abled. I hope that being around these amazing people will teach my children compassion and humility. That night was an experience that they will never forget and one that I hope we will relive many times.

I would like to become more involved with Special Olympics ASAP. I have already recruited a "team" to partake in the Polar Plunge and challenged Barrick Gold to also come up with a team. Glacier Bank will start running ad's challenging other banks to also come up with teams. This is an event that should definitely have more exposure (forgive the pun) than it currently does and I would like to make that happen. I have the ball rolling and will continue on with the big campaign push at the beginning of the year. Also, I am a small business owner and would like to be contacted when the time comes for donations next year so, mark me down =). I am also sending in my application to volunteer so I may be able to sit as a board or committee member & event volunteer in the future.

Thanks again Jim, we feel blessed to have had the opportunity to be in the presence of angels last week.

Sincerely,

Holly M Jordan
Consumer Real Estate Lender
Glacier Bank
Tamarack Office
3701 Harrison Ave
Butte, MT 59701
PH: 406-497-7072
FAX: 406-494-6989

About Special Olympics
Special Olympics is an international organization that changes lives by promoting understanding, acceptance and inclusion between people with and without intellectual disabilities. Through year-round sports training and athletic competition and other related programming for 1.4 million children and adults with intellectual disabilities in more than 150 countries, Special Olympics has created a model community that celebrates people's diverse gifts. Founded in 1968 by Eunice Kennedy Shriver, Special Olympics provides people with intellectual disabilities continuing opportunities to realize their potential, develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage and experience joy and friendship. There is no cost to participate in Special Olympics. Visit our parent organization, Special Olympics, Incorporated online at www.specialolympics.org