by MIA MULHOLLAND and KARI GRONEMEYER Best Buddies Iowa
Throughout the month of March, Best Buddies Iowa programs rallied their schools and communities together to pledge to Spread the Word to End the Word. The Spread the Word to End the Word campaign is an ongoing effort by Best Buddies International, Special Olympics, and the organizations’ supporters to raise the consciousness of society about the dehumanizing and hurtful effects of the word “retard(ed)” and encourage people to pledge to stop using the R-word.
While March 3 is the official Spread the Word to End the Word day, many Best Buddies chapters continued to promote the event throughout the month of March in conjunction with Best Buddies Month. Best Buddies Iowa events were among the 500 events held around the world to take the pledge. Events in Iowa included participants taking the pledge at the Best Buddies Iowa Prom, on the campus at Drake University, Iowa State University, University of Northern Iowa, Cornell College, Wartburg College and Morningside College and at the high schools at Hoover, Iowa City, Waukee, Urbandale, Mason City and Sioux City West East and North.
This day of awareness drew national media attention from every major morning show and generated thousands of local articles and TV segments. Iowa Governor Chet Culver joined governors in the states of Rhode Island, California, Oklahoma, Nebraska, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Utah, and Idaho in issuing proclamations declaring March 3 “Spread the Word to End the Word Day.”
The www.r-word.org Website reached a campaign milestone with more than 20,000 pledges on March 3, surpassing the goal of 100,000 pledges! Supporters from every corner of the world pledged their support for the movement, with thousands more expected to come in throughout the month of March.
Nationally, the campaign received a tremendous amount of support from our celebrities, including Carl Lewis, Maureen McCormick, Nancy O’Dell, Romero Britto, and the Miss Universe Organization, Miami Heat’s Mario Chalmers. Celebrities and students took the pledge online, spread the word on Twitter, Facebook and You Tube, and attended several events in person to show support for the campaign.
This year’s campaign has been a tremendous success, although it is far from complete and every bit as urgent today as it was before March 3. You can continue to help us Spread the Word to End the Word by visiting www.r-word.org to pledge your support and join our Facebook group at www.facebook.com/endtheword. Help Best Buddies and Special Olympics continue to spread the word until the day when a pledge to stop saying the R-word is no longer necessary.
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