The Montgomery County Sports Hall of Fame (MCSHF) will honor Eunice Kennedy Shriver, founder of Special Olympics, with its first-ever Lifetime Achievement Award during its 2025 induction ceremony.
The event is scheduled for Sunday, May 4, at 4 p.m. at the Silver Spring Civic Building at Veterans Plaza.
Shriver launched the first “Camp Shriver” in her Maryland backyard in 1962. That camp would later grow into Special Olympics. Now it’s a global movement empowering individuals with intellectual disabilities through sports.
Her son, Mark Shriver, will accept the award on behalf of the Shriver family.
“Our mother, Eunice Kennedy Shriver, was a pioneer in the worldwide struggle for rights and acceptance for people with intellectual disabilities,” Mark Shriver said in a press release. “In 1962, she first invited young people with intellectual disabilities to a summer day camp in her backyard right here in Maryland.”
He added, “Honoring her with this first-ever Lifetime Achievement Award is a meaningful tribute. On behalf of my siblings and myself, I am honored to accept the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Montgomery County Sports Hall of Fame at the birthplace of her vision.”
Jim Schmutz, president and CEO of Special Olympics Maryland, enforced this message saying, “Eunice Kennedy Shriver’s induction into the Montgomery County Sports Hall of Fame is a well-deserved tribute to her vision of using sports to transform lives.”
The Hall of Fame will also induct six new members:
- Thea LaFond, Olympic triple jumper
- Oguchi Onyewu, professional soccer player
- Paul Rabil, four-time All-American lacrosse player
- Haley Skarupa, Olympic gold medalist in ice hockey
- Al Thomas (posthumous), high school football coach
- Bob Windsor, former NFL player
“Recognizing disabled athletes and their coaches, including those who participate in Special Olympics, is part of our mission. Our new Lifetime Achievement Award honors those who have made a lasting impact by dedicating their lives to sports,” said Bob Milloy, chair of the MCSHF board in a press release. “Eunice Kennedy Shriver’s visionary work makes her the ideal first recipient.”
County Executive Marc Elrich praised her legacy in a press release, saying, “Eunice Kennedy Shriver changed the world—and her work started right here in Montgomery County.”
This marks the Hall’s sixth class of inductees. Since its founding, it has honored 29 athletes and coaches connected to Montgomery County. The Hall of Fame recently found a permanent home at the Silver Spring Recreation and Aquatic Center.
More than 500 Montgomery County athletes participate annually in Special Olympics Maryland, which serves over 25,000 athletes and Unified teammates across the state.
For more information, visit www.MCSHF.org.
Photo Courtesy Special Olympics and MCSHF
