David Cassidy in the News
Cassidy Assists Olympics
27 June, 1973
Desert Sun
David Cassidy has been chosen to represent the mentally retarded in the coming Special Olympics. Appointed National Youth Chairman of the Special Olympic Program, young Cassidy will assist in achieving the goal to increase participation, by 1976 of millions of retarded plus thousands of volunteers in the local, State and National special athletic contests. Cassidy’s singing and acting success has been phenomenal. He is idolized by millions of young as well as mature audiences both in America and abroad for his talent and skills. His acceptance to support these special athletes serves to both thrill and encourage them as participants of the competitive Speical Olympic games. David, the son of actor Jack Cassidy and actress Evelyn Ward was born in New York, later moving to California with his mother, where he graduated from Rexford High School in Beverly Hills. Returning to New York at an early age, David struggled to become an actor, winning a role in the Broadway play "Fig Leaves are Falling.” He became a TV bit player before regularly appearing in “The Partridge Family” series. Now, at 23, over 10 million of his recordings have been sold, seven of his albums “Gold” records. Recent European appearances have been sell outs. He owns a lot of Hawaiian real estate and three race horses. David definitely is a ‘super-star ’ The retarded are grateful for his support and the added interest and excitement it will create, publicly, for their special athletic events Many of the retarded are also stars in their own right, performing with determined skill and the greatest sportsmanship humanly possible despite handicaps of various nature and degree. Eric Swanson. 23, both blind and retarded, beautifully mastered, after three years of practice, the skill of whirling his body on the mat to accomplish the difficult butterfly' exercise, for which he earned a gold medal and acclaim, his performance, along with others, high-lighted on the TV showing of the 1972 Special Olympics.
Experts, who allegedly felt that mentally retarded persons could not run 300 yards, could not stand the disappointment of losing a race, and certainly could not be flown so far from home to compete with thousands of others in demanding athletic competition have been proven wrong. Dr. Philip Roos, National Association Retarded Children’s Executive Director stated that many uninformed audits and celebrities learned that “Yes, retarded can talk, they can swim, jump, throw a ball and demonstrate sportsmanship comparable and in some respects, even greater than other groups of athletes. At the 1972 National meet at U.C.L.A., Chairman Eunice Kennedy Shriver remarked, “You have proved to all of us what any person can do when encouraged.” Her husband Sargent Shriver added, "We can await the day when all Americans can match the quality of human spirit which these games represent.” Future dale of the National Special Olympics has not yet been set. The State meet will take place on July 20 and 21, at U.C.L.A. and the Santa Monica College swimming pool. The public is urged to go watch the amazing feats of skill and courage.
