Special Olympics
CA4 – Europa
My name is Ben Haack. I’m a Special Olympics Athlete who has been involved with Special Olympics for 23 years as an athlete, board member and now staff. I live in Australia, and first got involved in the Special Olympics-Lions Clubs International Foundation (LCIF) “Mission: Inclusion” global partnership in Hamburg, Germany as part of the exciting 2013 Lions Clubs International Convention. It was an amazing and memorable experience, and it encouraged me to explore belonging to the Lions Clubs of Australia. I am proud to share that I belong to a local Lions club on the Gold Cost, Tallebudgera. We have even formed a branch club which was officially ratified as the Gold Coast Champions Club – supporting the theme of inclusion and the athletes of Special Olympics Australia.
Special Olympics and LCIF have created one of the best partnerships in the history of the Special Olympics movement. Since 2001, our partnership has had an incredible impact on the lives of individual athletes, their families and entire communities. I have had the pleasure of seeing this grow to over 100 national Special Olympics organizations collaborating with their Lions clubs volunteers – making service and inclusion a part of everyday life. The metrics and impact measure are impressive: close to 500,000 athletes with comprehensive vision screenings, 225,000 athletes with prescription eyewear, tens of thousands of Lions volunteers, and thousands of youth engaged in service. And the impact continues every day all over the world.
My vision for my Champions Club is to ensure that every athlete and every Lion have the chance to learn from each other, help each other and serve the community together.
Lions clubs offer individuals of all abilities the chance to serve their community, develop leadership skills and showcase their skills and talents to all. Lions clubs give that opportunity. The ways that Leos help Special Olympics athletes on the field and in schools is a great example. Together they are unstoppable!
The Mission: Inclusion partnership is a grass-roots partnership that empowers local communities to serve; to support; to shine a light on those who need it most. I love being a Lions club member – the largest and most inclusive service club organization in the world.
I know myself. When I joined Special Olympics, I was broken and beaten – a lost young man who had a family who was suffering. Through Special Olympics and through the engagement of Lions clubs, I am a responsible adult man, eager to participate in the world and committed to doing my part. That is why I became a Lion, and that is why I formed my Champions Club. We all can help in our own ways. Where there’s a need, there’s a Lion.