Banning the ‘R' word
By KAREN BOSSICKWood River Journal
Hailey - Sean Sutton and Nathan Lago are on a mission to ban the “R” word.
We're not talking ‘reading, ‘riting and ‘rithmetic.
We're talking - well, retard.
The kids started their crusade last year, hanging posters of an R with a slash through it in the halls at Wood River Middle School. They appeared on the school TV, pleading with their schoolmates to stop uttering the cursed word. And they took their quest before the school board.
Now they're continuing their mission in the days leading up to the 2009 Special Olympics World Winter Games that will be held in Sun Valley, Boise and McCall in February.
“We don't want people to say ‘retarded,' ” says Lago, a Special Olympian himself. “It hurts people's feelings.”
Sutton and Lago's quest started when they were among several students chosen to be student ambassadors at the 2008 Special Olympics Invitational Winter Games held last year in Sun Valley and Boise.
The two interviewed student athletes and posted their stories on a website for Idaho students to read.
“It gave us an opportunity to learn what people with disabilities go through everyday and how we can help them,” says Sutton. “I learned they have the same goals as we do, but they have to work much harder to achieve those goals.”
Sutton moved on to Wood River High School this fall where he joined the “Be a Fan” team.
The 19-student team has plotted events to encourage acceptance among fellow students even as they plan a Snowflake Ball for the 650 Special Olympians who will be coming to Sun Valley.
They held a school assembly last week, and screened a video about the Ban the “R” Word campaign.
So far, 20 percent of the student body has signed a pledge not to use the R word and the team plans to continue its drive with monthly bake sales and sign-up sheets. Kids caught saying the word will have to make a donation to the Break the Habit jar, with the money going to the Ball.
“We did a poll last spring and some kids said they heard the word a lot while others didn't hear as much. The kids aren't using it for kids with disabilities but rather with their friends, or even themselves in a self-deprecating manner,” says Geraldine Maniere, the Be a Fan advisor. “We want to get it out of kids' vocabulary.”
On Halloween, 30 kids and adults will fan out across the Valley to collect change to raise the $5,000 they estimate they'll need for the Snowflake Ball.
On Nov. 15, they will have a dance for seniors. The dance, modeled after a dance a student organized at the senior center last year, will be free. But buckets will be set out for those who would like to make donations.
The students are trying to organize school groups, Sunday school classes and sports teams to make buttons, bracelets, key chains, “Good Luck” cards and other items to include in gift bags for the Olympians.
And they're brainstorming ski-related fundraisers, a school-wide assembly that would feature a speaker on diversity and a variety show for the Olympians.
“I have a passion for kids with disabilities. These people are important people and they deserve our attention, they deserve our help,” says student Kylee Richmond.
The kids would like nothing better than to see their classmates given the chance to attend the games to cheer the Olympians on.
“It's important that we enlist people to ‘Be a Fan' - that's our motto,” says student Jessica Hamilton.
Maniere concurs.
“I've been to a Summer Olympics and a Winter Olympics and that was nothing like either of those. It affected me and I'm a person who's lived some life. There's a reason it's called ‘Special' Olympics.”
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