Page 5- OC- Letter of Invitation from Eunice Striver

History of Operation Confidence

TOTALLY CONFIDENT DRILL TEAM

Invitation From

Mrs. Eunice Kennedy Shriver

to perform in the
1987 International Special Olympics Summer Games

Operation Confidence was honored to have received a letter of invitation from Mrs.
Eunice Kennedy Shriver for the Totally Confident Drill Team to perform in the 1987
International Special Olympics Summer Games, July 31 to August 8, at the University Of
Notre Dame, in South Bend, Indiana.

31 July-8 August 1987

The University of Notre Dame and Saint Mary's College in South
Bend, Indiana, hosted the Seventh International Special Olympics
Summer Games. More than 4,700 athletes from more than 70
countries participated in 1987's largest amateur sports event. The
Games were covered in Sports Illustrated and Time, and reach
more than 150 million people worldwide.

Proclamation 5683 -- International Special
Olympics Week and Day, 1987

July 20, 1987

uç à{x

cÜxá|wxÇà Éy à{x hÇ|àxw fàtàxá Éy TÅxÜ|vt

A PROCLAMATION

g{x DLKJ i\\ \ÇàxÜÇtà|ÉÇtÄ fâÅÅxÜ fÑxv|tÄ bÄçÅÑ|v ZtÅxá? àÉ ux
{xÄw yÜÉÅ ]âÄç FD àÉ Tâzâáà K tà à{x hÇ|äxÜá|àç by aÉàÜx WtÅx |Ç
fÉâà{ UxÇw? \Çw|tÇt? ã|ÄÄ {Éáà I?CCC tà{Äxàxá? DH?CCC äÉÄâÇàxxÜá? tÇw
à{ÉâátÇwá Éy zâxáàá yÜÉÅ tÜÉâÇw à{x hÇ|àxw fàtàxá tÇw à{x ãÉÜÄwA XäxÜç
TÅxÜ|vtÇ vtÇ ux zÜtàxyâÄ yÉÜ à{x ÅtÇç wxw|vtàxw tÇw áxÄyÄxáá ÉÜztÇ|éxÜá Éy à{xáx
ztÅxá? à{x ÄtÜzxáà ãÉÜÄwã|wx tÅtàxâÜ áÑÉÜà|Çz xäxÇà Éy à{x çxtÜA

jx vtÇ tÄáÉ ux zÜtàxyâÄ |Çwxxw yÉÜ à{x xÇà|Üx ÑÜÉzÜtÅ Éy fÑxv|tÄ bÄçÅÑ|váA \àá
vÉÅÑÜx{xÇá|äx ÄÉvtÄ tá ãxÄÄ tá Çtà|ÉÇtÄ ÑÜÉzÜtÅá yÉáàxÜ áxÄy@v{tÄÄxÇzx tÇw
w|ávÉäxÜç tÇw {xÄÑ à{x Ñ{çá|vtÄÄç tÇw ÅxÇàtÄÄç |ÅÑt|Üxw yÉÜÅ t {xtÄà{ç áxÄy@
|Åtzx? wxäxÄÉÑ ÑÉá|à|äx |ÇàxÜÑxÜáÉÇtÄ á~|ÄÄá tÇw ÜxÄtà|ÉÇá{|Ñá? tÇw ÜxtÄ|éx tÄÄ à{xç
{täx àÉ ÉyyxÜA fÑxv|tÄ bÄçÅÑ|vá |á ÉÇx Éy áxäxÜtÄ twätÇvxá @@ tÄÉÇz ã|à{ ÜxvxÇà
ÑÜÉzÜxáá |Ç áv|xÇà|y|v tÇw Åxw|vtÄ ÜxáxtÜv{ tÇw |ÇvÜxtáxw |ÇàxzÜtà|ÉÇ Éy
{tÇw|vtÑÑxw tÇw wxäxÄÉÑÅxÇàtÄÄç w|átuÄxw ÑxÉÑÄx |ÇàÉ à{x ãÉÜ~ÑÄtvx @@ à{tà {täx
Äxw àÉ t wÜtÅtà|v v{tÇzx |Ç ÑâuÄ|v ÑxÜvxÑà|ÉÇ Éy à{x vtÑtu|Ä|à|xá Éy à{|á |ÅÑÉÜàtÇà
áxzÅxÇà Éy ÉâÜ ÑÉÑâÄtà|ÉÇA g{tà |á àÜâÄç vtâáx yÉÜ vxÄxuÜtà|ÉÇ? tà à{|á fÑxv|tÄ
bÄçÅÑ|tw tÇw tÄãtçáA

g{x ÑÜ|wx tÇw zÉÉw ã|á{xá Éy xäxÜç TÅxÜ|vtÇ zÉ ã|à{ à{x áÑxv|tÄ tà{Äxàxá Éy
fÑxv|tÄ bÄçÅÑ|vá? ÇÉã tÇw tÄãtçáA

g{x VÉÇzÜxáá? uç fxÇtàx ]É|Çà exáÉÄâà|ÉÇ KH? {tá wxá|zÇtàxw à{x ÑxÜ|Éw
uxz|ÇÇ|Çz Tâzâáà E? DLKJ? tÇw xÇw|Çz Tâzâáà K? DLKJ? tá
ss\ÇàxÜÇtà|ÉÇtÄ fÑxv|tÄ bÄçÅÑ|vá jxx~?:: tÇw Tâzâáà F? DLKJ? tá
ss\ÇàxÜÇtà|ÉÇtÄ fÑxv|tÄ bÄçÅÑ|vá Wtç?:: tÇw tâà{ÉÜ|éxw tÇw ÜxÖâxáàxw à{x
cÜxá|wxÇà àÉ |ááâx t ÑÜÉvÄtÅtà|ÉÇ |Ç ÉuáxÜätÇvx Éy à{xáx xäxÇàáA

aÉã? g{xÜxyÉÜx? \? eÉÇtÄw extztÇ? cÜxá|wxÇà Éy à{x hÇ|àxw fàtàxá Éy
TÅxÜ|vt? wÉ {xÜxuç ÑÜÉvÄt|Å à{x ÑxÜ|Éw uxz|ÇÇ|Çz Tâzâáà E? DLKJ? tÇw
xÇw|Çz Tâzâáà K? DLKJ? tá \ÇàxÜÇtà|ÉÇtÄ fÑxv|tÄ bÄçÅÑ|vá jxx~? tÇw
Tâzâáà F tá \ÇàxÜÇtà|ÉÇtÄ fÑxv|tÄ bÄçÅÑ|vá WtçA \ |Çä|àx tÄÄ TÅxÜ|vtÇá
àÉ ÉuáxÜäx à{|á ÑxÜ|Éw ã|à{ tÑÑÜÉÑÜ|tàx vxÜxÅÉÇ|xá tÇw tvà|ä|à|xá w|Üxvàxw àÉãtÜw
|ÇvÜxtá|Çz ÑâuÄ|v tãtÜxÇxáá Éy à{x Çxxwá tÇw à{x ÑÉàxÇà|tÄ Éy ÑxÉÑÄx ã|à{
{tÇw|vtÑÑ|Çz vÉÇw|à|ÉÇá tÇw wxäxÄÉÑÅxÇàtÄ w|átu|Ä|à|xáA \ yâÜà{xÜ urge all

TÅxÜ|vtÇá àÉ }É|Ç ã|à{ Åx |Ç tvvÉÜw|Çz ÉâÜ yxÄÄÉã v|à|éxÇá ã|à{ áâv{ w|átu|Ä|à|xá
à{x xÇvÉâÜtzxÅxÇà tÇw ÉÑÑÉÜàâÇ|à|xá à{xç Çxxw àÉ tv{|xäx à{x|Ü yâÄÄ ÑÉàxÇà|tÄA

\Ç j|àÇxáá j{xÜxÉy? \ {täx {xÜxâÇàÉ áxà Åç {tÇw à{|á ECà{ wtç Éy ]âÄç? |Ç
à{x çxtÜ Éy ÉâÜ _ÉÜw Ç|ÇxàxxÇ {âÇwÜxw tÇw x|z{àç@áxäxÇ? tÇw Éy à{x
\ÇwxÑxÇwxÇvx Éy à{x hÇ|àxw fàtàxá Éy TÅxÜ|vt à{x àãÉ {âÇwÜxw tÇw àãxÄyà{.

Totally Confident Disabled Drill Team

Operation Confidence’s TC Drill team performed before an audience of over 70,00
spectators including distinguish guest, such as, Mrs. Shriver, Oprah Winfrey, and Senator
Ted Kennedy. The team received a standing ovation. .

Operation Confidence Fashion Designers Made Hand-Made
Sweater/Coat for Mrs. Eunice Kennedy Shriver

“A Touch Of Love For Eunice”

To show our appreciation, Connie and several members on OC‘s Fashion Appeal Team,
created and designed a beautiful Faux Fur sweater/ coat similar to the one in the picture
and presented it to Mrs. Shriver. Her thank you letter below.



Operation Confidence’s

Totally Confident Disabled Drill
Team

Performed
At the World Renounced

Disneyland

On October 9, 1987, The Totally Confident Disabled Drill Team received a letter of
invitation from Dave Goodman, Disneyland Supervisor of Music Festival Programs
congratulating the team on being selected to perform at “The Happiest Place on Earth”.
The team would mark history as the first group of individuals with a disability to perform
at Disneyland, November 30, 1987. The Los Angeles Daily News ran a full page story.

Disneyland gave the team red carpet treatment by first providing hotel accommodations
at the Disneyland Hotel, breakfast the next day, rehearsal that morning, a luncheon
after the performance and full access to the park the entire day.

The day of the performance Disneyland opened the park early just for the team to have
several hours of rehearsal that began at 7:30 a.m.

Showtime came at 11:00 a.m. When the team heard the announcer say “It’s Show Time”
they all became silent with butterflies in their stomach. They all then had group prayer
and began to march on the Carnation Plaza Garden stage knowing a historical moment
was about to take place, never had a disabled team performed at Disneyland. Reporters
were all over the place, beginning with TV reporter Bob Banfield, from 7 followed by
Channel 5 and 2 plus KNX and KFWB Radio.

The team performed to the song “It’s a Small World”, “Rejoice” from The Wiz ending
with Reggie, singing, “That’s What Friends Are For.” The finale was when Minnie and
Mickey Mouse joined in and danced with the group to the song, “Ease On Down the
Road”, by Stephanie Mills.

The TC team stayed overnight and the next day left the park with pride and confidence
that knowing another accomplishment had been made for all people with disabilities.