Organizers of the 2007 Special Olympics in Shanghai have announced that they raised about 35 million yuan (US$4 million) by the end of 2004. They expressed confidence in meeting the target of US$45 million over the next two years.

The event's organizing committee held a plenary conference on Saturday, the first since winning their bid on May 24, 2002. Shanghai Party Secretary Chen Liangyu, also a member of the politburo, attended the occasion.

The committee has three channels to raise money: collecting funds worldwide via a foundation; running welfare and sports lotteries across the nation; and asking businesses for sponsorship.

"We hope that more than 60 percent of funds can be raised through public collection and business sponsorship, but the Shanghai government has also promised its support if necessary," said Chai Junyong, secretary general of the organizing committee.

The Special Olympics was founded in 1968 by Eunice Kennedy Shriver, sister of former US president J. F. Kennedy. It is held every two years, alternating between summer and winter games.

It provides year-round sports training and athletic programs for over 1 million people with intellectual disabilities in more than 150 countries. It is often confused with the Paralympics, which is an entirely separate elite sport organization mainly involving people with physical disabilities.

The 2007 Special Olympics World Summer Games will be the first of its kind to be held in Asia, and is expected to attract some 10,000 athletes and coaches from 170 countries, as well as 20,000-30,000 athletes' family members. The winter games will be held in Nagano, Japan this year between February 26 and March 5.

"We will increase the number of Chinese special athletes to 500,000 when the games open," said Deng Pufang, president of the China Welfare Fund for the Handicapped. "We hope that through attending they will be more confident in taking a more active role in society."

The event comes ahead of Beijing's Olympics and Paralympics in 2008. In 2010, Shanghai will also host the World Exposition.

(Shanghai Daily January 31, 2005)