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Master of Gamesmanship
For Tim Shriver, the benefits of the Special Olympics will live
far beyond the closing ceremonies
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Business New Haven
6/4/1995
By: BNH
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He's young, he's handsome, he has a Yale degree and a Kennedy pedigree. He's Timothy P. Shriver of New Haven, president of the Connecticut Special Olympics, which July 1 takes center-stage throughout the state, especially in and around the Elm City. Speaking to him in his 16th-floor office at 195 Church Street, BNH asked Shriver about the Games, their economic-development consequences and the Special Olympics' role as a business partner.
What qualifies an athlete for the Special Olympics - is it strictly for mentally retarded athletes, or physically challenged ones, too?
All of our athletes have a primary diagnosis of mental retardation, although many of them have other disabilities. There are wheelchair events, blind and hearing-impaired athletes. But the Special Olympics is designed to support, promote and offer opportunities to people with mental retardation.
As hosts, what are some of the issues we need to be sensitive to?
I would say that there are two main areas, particularly for your readers. One is that we should all be looking at whether or not there are positions in our businesses where people with mental retardation can work. They can make terrific workers, very reliable, effective in many jobs. And yet the biggest problem they face is that they never get an interview. And we still have problems in Connecticut and other parts of the country when you open a home for four or six residents in the neighborhood, and suddenly there are concerns about whether it's “appropriate” and whether it will fit in their neighborhood. If people with mental retardation want to live in our neighborhood, we should be welcoming them.
The state has guaranteed funds against a loss. Is that the extent of the public dollar commitment?
Yes.
What's the amount on the
guarantee?
Originally we worked out a loan guarantee of $20 million. That was what tipped the scales in our favor as a bid. Since that time we have renegotiated that loan guarantee and scaled it back to a $5 million guarantee against loss. This was a consequence of fundraising and corporate and other support.
How has the community's response to the Games been, and in what areas could it be better?
The biggest thing for an event like this is whether it can bring people together - unions and management, university and town, suburban and urban, athletes and teachers, clergymen and scholars. The most exciting thing this event might be able to do is to introduce, not someone in New Haven to somebody from Sierra Leone, but someone from Dixwell Ave. to someone from East Rock. This is not a wealthy city, and we've known that from the beginning. We've relied to the extent we can on financial resources and contributions from outside the community and bringing in national sponsors. We've tried not to undermine the donor base of local charities and causes; they're working to maintain the funding they have.
What would you say to a skeptic who argued that large-scale special events such as these are a net drain on the area economy?
I think the Games will bring in far more money than they take away. The economic impact will be documented, and I'm sure the statistics will show that the games will be on the plus side, financially. I think it will make all of our programs stronger in the future. All of our giving, all of our contributions - I think volunteerism will be at an all-time high in this community for years to come. That will benefit every charity, every cause and every event.
Aside from families and friends of the athletes, is the Special Olympics really a spectator sport?
One of our priorities with these games is to attract non-constituent spectators. Special Olympics has been a constituent-driven organization in general; people come because they're a part of it. We've worked hard to promote it as a sports spectator event, and also to add attractions to it which will help us draw the skeptics. So you put in things like tall ships, the NBA's Jam Session, fan fest for Major League Baseball, corporate displays, celebrities. For the first time, ESPN will cover these events as sports events. We've been on national TV in the past, but it's always been on entertainment slots. This is sports slots, 13 hours, six days of shows. We think that our athletes have a charm and importance as athletes that is often brushed over. So, do we hope for spectators? Yes. Do we recognize that we haven't always gotten them? Yes. Do we think we're going to beat that rap? I hope so.
Why is it the Connecticut Special Olympics, instead of the New Haven Special Olympics? After all, next summer no one's traveling to see the “Georgia” Summer Games.
This was a bid that was always sponsored and on behalf of the state. New Haven is our biggest and most important host community, but this is a bid that came from us as a state. I know some people have been disappointed that we haven't used the term 'New Haven' as the host, but it's just the way it happened. We have a reputation for being a little parochial about those things. This is something that brings us together rather than something that is just one city or one town. I think New Haven should be excited about being in the center of it all.
As someone who lives here, what
do you say to the argument that the benefits of special events are ephemeral compared to permanent infrastructure improvements?
Bricks and mortar benefit the city. The city has put millions of dollars into parks, harbors and hotels. We're sprucing up streets and developing the harbor. The town-gown relationships will vastly improve because of the work we've done. The training and volunteer models with organizations in the city will be there for years. I hope there will be sports programs that expand after these games.
What dynamic was at work to get
$1 million corporate sponsors, and what do they hope to get out of it?
Biggest value we have for an investment is the fact that it looks favorable for the [sponsor]. But in general, the greatest value is when employees in a company work together on behalf of the Special Olympics, they develop camaraderie, a sense of team and a sense of collective mission that you don't get many other places. I think in the workplace nowadays, the premium commodity is finding ways to keep employees motivated and committed to the business. We've developed marketing programs that help companies to show their responsibility to their community, to their neighborhood, to their state, to particular causes. I think that has a value.
There is a perception that the Special Olympics hasn't exactly gone out of its way to do business exclusively with local vendors.
We adopted a very aggressive policy of trying to use both local and minority vendors wherever possible. What has been sometimes difficult to convey is that we are a fundraising organization, not a big capital expenditure organization. Most of what we do is try to get people to give products and services. So, when we go out to get buses, or sheets or towels or services, our first priority is to get somebody to donate it. We buy as a last resort, usually steeply discounted. We're not good business for most people.
What happens after July 9? You're rumored to be eyeing public office.
I'm not running for anything. I'm an educator by profession, and I plan to return. I have a very exciting career in education, and as far as I know right now, that's my next step. But, unfortunately, I haven't had a chance to give it a lot more thought than that.
What would you most like to say to business people about the Games?
My hope is that they consider it a chance to show their stuff. Let's put our best foot forward, decorate our doorways, let's shine up the place, and show the world that we're proud to have the athletes among us and proud of what we have here in New Haven. I hope that's the tenor, and I have every reason to believe it will be. BNH
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