ThreeBond supports the Special Olympics
The beginnings of the Special Olympics
The Special Olympics began in 1963 when Eunice Kennedy Shriver opened a day camp at her own home for people with intellectual developmental disabilities.
The summer games began in 1969 with the Pan-American games, which were held in Chicago. Following this, the International Winter Games began in 1977, and the games are now held every four years just as the Olympics.
At present, approximately 1,700,000 athletes and 500,000 volunteers from over 150 countries participate in the events.
What are the Special Olympics?
The Special Olympics is an international sports organization which encourages social participation by offering year-round sports training to people with intellectual developmental disabilities, and holding events at which the results of such training can be seen. The Special Olympics is largely supported by local volunteers.
ThreeBond and the Special Olympics
Our company and the Special Olympics Japan first came together in the winter of 2004.
We offered our Hakuba Resort facilities to the “Believe” film crew, which was composed solely of individuals with intellectual developmental disabilities, as a place to practice their skills in preparation for the 2005 International Special Olympics Winter Games in Nagano.
Through that event, we came to know more about the Special Olympics, and company employees began to take part in volunteer activities.
We gradually expanded our activities by offering the use of facilities, making donations of support, holding charity events and participating in employee volunteer activities, and became a company in full support of the Special Olympics Japan.
In our sports volunteer activities (floor hockey), our numbers gradually grew, and some employees even began to become certified coaches. Tetsuya Matsunaga (who represented Japan in the Beijing Olympics) and Kimihiko Imamura also participate in our sailing team when they are free.
During the Christmas season, we held the “Charity Adhesive Event” in Landmark Plaza, where we were able to assemble over 500 participants and collect a great deal of donations in support of the Special Olympics Japan. Participants from our head office, as well as each factory and members of the “ThreeBond Presents Kamamoto Soccer School” made misangas in support of “Yell” fund-raising activities. At the 2010 5th Special Olympics Nippon National Summer Games Osaka, 111 employees participated as volunteer staff. In the future, we will do everything we can to support the Special Olympics.