More than 3,500 athletes gathered at Eckersall Stadium on Chicago’s South Side on Monday, celebrating the beginning of Special Olympics Chicago’s Spring Games.

Founded in the 1960’s by Eunice Kennedy Shriver, Special Olympics gives athletes with intellectual disabilities the opportunity to compete with their peers in a variety of athletic events. In 1968, the first International Special Olympics Summer Games were held at Soldier Field in Chicago, drawing more than 1,000 athletes from across the country.

Since that time, more and more athletes have participated in Special Olympics, with an estimated 4.4 million athletes involved in Special Olympics events worldwide in 2014.

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Special Olympics Illinois
Special Olympics ceremony kicks off spring games in Chicago - Chicago Sun-Times