The screenings in Terrace on 4th September turned out to be a great success. Both screenings were close to sold out and the audience reaction to the film was again fantastic. Cynthia Northridge said “I thought it was a really powerful film, heartwarming and absolutely amazing”. The city of Terrace really embraced the event and made it into something special by helping to raise over $850 for Special Olympics Terrace.

One of TMW producers Gregory Rinaldi with the help of his sister Joan Wiebe were able to arrange everything needed for the screenings in under a week.  The banquet hall was donated by Best Western Terrace Inn, all of the audio/video equipment was provided by Sight & Sound and the posters, tickets and flyers were printed by Totem Press.  With the building blocks in place, it wasn’t long before everyone started talking about the film, bolstered by the help of the local media – two articles in the Terrace Standard, a ticket giveaway all week on CFTK’s Ryan Boult followed by promotions in the lead up to the screenings, a TV interview on the local news station and a radio interview on CBC radio.

Our faith in the message of the film was amplified when, in the hour between the first and second screenings, the audience from the first screening proceeded to call friends and family to get down to the second one.  The second screening ended up being even better attended than the first with extra chairs being brought in to accommodate the numbers. David Miller commented “It was an incredible tale of compassion and beautiful cinematography but most importantly for me was to show how something good can come from the obstacles in life”.

We will be starting our North America release next year and Terrace BC have shown us that we will be able to achieve our goals of raising both awareness and money for the charities involved.

Since 1918, Enham has responded to the changing needs of people with disabilities. Founded as a rehabilitation centre for ex-servicemen returning from the First World War, Enham has helped people with disabilities find new lives, homes and employment in unique and innovative ways for nearly 90 years.

Enham’s vision is a society where people with disabilities are valued as individuals and are enabled to achieve their full potential. Enham has adopted a person-centred approach, which means that the individual’s goals and wishes are at the heart of the services. This approach is further underlined in Enham’s 2005 strategy, which emphasises equality of opportunity, increased access to employment and independence, and improved quality of life.

From housing and employment to personal development and care, Enham delivers a wide range of essential services that provide choice and empower people to make their own decisions about their lives.

Enham also operates a number of commercial enterprises. These provide direct employment opportunities for people with disabilities, improve access to essential products and services and generate income to support Enham’s charitable objectives.

www.enham.org.uk

Special Olympics is an international non-profit organisation dedicated to empowering individuals with intellectual disabilities to become physically fit, productive and respected members of society through sports training and competition.

Special Olympics is an unprecedented global movement which, through quality sports training and competition, improves the lives of people with intellectual disabilities and, in turn, the lives of everyone they touch.

Inspired by her sister’s intellectual disability, Special Olympics International was founded by Eunice Kennedy Shriver in 1968 following an Olympic-style competition in Chicago’s Soldier Field. This event represented the first International Special Olympics Games with 1,000 athletes taking part from 26 states competing in athletics, floor hockey and aquatics.

Special Olympics Great Britain was established in 1978 and currently serves over 8,000 athletes who take part in year-round sports training and competition programmes. SOGB is a registered charity, which currently receives no government funding. Support for Special Olympics globally continues to thrive – stars such as Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jackie Chan, Bianca Jagger and Jon Bon Jovi have lent their name as ambassadors to Special Olympics internationally. Leading British personalities and sporting figures such as Martin Johnson, David James, Darren Campbell and Gary Lineker have announced their support for Special Olympics in Great Britain.

The Special Olympics National and World Summer and Winter Games alternate bi-annually with the last World Summer Games held in Shanghai, China in 2007, attracting more than 7,500 athletes and an astonishing 40,000 volunteers.

www.sogb.org.uk

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