Six unsung heroes finally got their day in the sun last weekend as the leaders of Special Olympics Pennsylvania (SOPA) flocked to Center City for the organization's annual Hall of Fame inductions.
The event, attended by over 100 people and held at the Center City Sheraton, represented the culmination of years of work for six Special Olympics athletes and volunteers.
The speakers at the banquet, who varied from former Philadelphia Eagles walk-on Vince Papale (keynote speaker) to NBC-10 News sports anchor John Clark (master of ceremonies), emphasized a vision for SOPA that both celebrated its storied history and anticipated its future.
Papale, in his speech, gave a passionate endorsement of the value of athletics in helping to maximize an individual's potential.
"It's all about opportunity, isn't it?" he asked the crowd. "You take every day as if it's the most important day of your life, and that's what is so great about the Special Olympics."
Papale also related personal stories of his life as an NFL player, a cancer survivor, and most recently, the subject of a movie.
A clip from The Invincible, an upcoming motion picture that tells the story of Papale's journey from ordinary working life to professional football glory, was shown to the attendees as an example of an individual's realization of his talent.
The focus of the event, though, never strayed too far from the SOPA Hall of Fame's six inductees, who hailed from six different Pennsylvania counties.
They were given a chance to relate their experiences with the organization as longtime members and supporters.
"I do a little bit of everything," said Donnalee Reese, a volunteer honored at the banquet. "It made me the person that I am today... it brought me out of my shell."
According to a press release put out by the event's organizers, induction into the Hall of Fame represents the highest honor one can achieve within the organization, with two volunteers and four athletes being selected every year.
The highest-profile athlete in attendance, though, was likely L.J. Smith, the No. 1 tight end for the Eagles. He did not speak officially, but Smith stopped to greet almost every audience member and gave the event a bit more star power.
But the stories of the Special Olympics' mission did not escape him, either.
"The athletes have all these things against them, things that are put in place before they are even born," Smith said.
He also described the organization's members as people with "big hearts," based on the interactions he has had with them over his career.
"It puts everything in perspective," he said. "As an athlete in Philadelphia... you kind of get put on a pedestal, and this brings you right back down to earth."
