WWE makes a difference in China
WWE is already making a difference in the lives of young people from the People's Republic of China. When Mick Foley was in China to participate in the Special Olympics Summer World Games, he visited our TV partner, Guangdong TV, which has been airing WWE programming since early 2007. While in Guangzhou, the capitol of Guangdong Province, Mick participated in an event with the Guangzhou Youth Volunteer Organization to encourage volunteerism and make a donation from WWE to support the organization's efforts. Established in 1995, the Guangzhou Youth Volunteer Organization is one of the largest volunteer-run organizations in Guangdong Province.
The WWE donation was a catalyst for the recent kick off for the "Happy Children Sports Games" in Guangdong inspired by the recent Special Olympics World Games held in Shanghai. Happy Children Sports Games is a series of events for special needs children and their friends and family. The goal is to encourage children to enjoy exercise and to build confidence and mutual respect.
"Mick Foley's visit to our volunteer recruitment day and his talk on his devotion to the Special Olympics really motivated us to put more smiles on the faces of our local special needs children," Inspiration Team Leader Li Shen said. "Funds from WWE helped us to pull this event together quickly."
In October, WWE participated in the Special Olympics held in Shanghai (check out the photos) and supported the Guangzhou Youth Volunteer Organization to promote youth volunteerism in Guangdong, a province in southern China. WWE was honored to be invited to participate in this event along with the Guangzhou Manpower Recovery Center, the Guangzhou Children's Activity Center, the Hong Kong Society for Rehabilitation, the Wellness Center for Guangdong Physically Challenged People, the Young Love Parents Club of Special Needs Children, the Meihuachun Primary School and employees from the Southern Media Group.
Around 60 mentally or physically challenged children between the ages of 4 and 12 from four special schools in Guangzhou City and Chongua City gathered at the playground of the Four Seas Primary School and competed in Olympic-style events, such as a 50-meter foot race, 5-meter rolling race, 4-by-30 relay race, tug-of-war and sand ball throwing. Each special needs child was matched with a volunteer from the Guangzhou Youth Volunteer Organization as a "guiding angel."
"Every kid is a winner in his own right," said "guiding angel" volunteer Mr. Cai. "Cheering, laughing and giving big hugs are my three magic tricks to build bonds with my special athletes."
Wearing T-shirts with both WWE and Guangzhou Youth Volunteer Organization logos, more than 80 volunteers from the Organization accompanied Guangzhou's special athletes to their games, cheering them on and gently working to promote a healthy atmosphere between competitors.
Huihui, a child with Down Syndrome, was one of the children to win a gold medal.
"I am more excited than Huihui. He cherishes his medal so much that he would not let me hold it," said Huihui's mother.
She expressed she rarely sees her child laugh so loud and that the Happy Children Sports Games was an enormously satisfying experience and a wonderful memory.
WWE has made the Guangzhou Youth Volunteer Organization one of its community volunteer partners in China, and intends to seek out similar relationships in other Chinese provinces where its TV programming is broadcast.
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