Special Olympics history was made on November 9, 2004 as the first health clinic devoted specifically to Special Olympics athletes and people with intellectual disabilities in China was officially opened in Wenzhou, Zhejiang province. The Eunice Kennedy Shriver Special Olympics Sports Health Center was developed by the Wenzhou Medical College, a Special Olympics Regional Collaborating Center.

The Center will provide healthcare services to people with intellectual disabilities in Zhejiang province as well as to the population of Special Olympics athletes in the East Asia region. The Opening Ceremony included addresses by Feng Zhili (deputy mayor of Wenzhou), Wang Xinxian (the deputy Chairman of the China Disabled Persons' Federation), Dr. Qu Jia (Dean of the Wenzhou Medical College), Dr. Timothy Shriver (Chairman and CEO of Special Olympics, Inc.), as well as speeches by two Special Olympics China athletes Yang Yan and Jia Sirui (former Global Messenger).

The ceremonies were preceded by a two-day MedFest event, a Healthy Athletes Opening Eyes screening, as well as recruitment and training of parents, volunteers, educators, and coaches in Wenzhou and the surrounding areas. The MedFest – an event which provides free health screenings for athletes took place on November 8 and 9. The screenings are a necessary part of becoming a Special Olympics athlete; and 650 intellectually disabled people from Wenzhou received the screenings, thereby fulfilling the important step to becoming a Special Olympics athlete. The new athletes were then given vision examinations in the Opening Eyes screening venue. All of the healthcare professionals volunteered their time to help with this event. Following the medical screenings, the athletes were taken to a nearby sports field and given the opportunity to take part in a variety of sports demonstrations and training sessions. The sports included basketball, soccer, golf, athletics, and tennis.

Three weeks prior to the opening of the Center, Special Olympics East Asia Senior Manager of Organizational Development, Anna Chan and Director of Sports, Charlie Chang, carried out training sessions in Wenzhou for parents of Special Olympics athletes and coaches. Their work helped to lay the groundwork for the necessary infrastructure of a local Special Olympics organization. When the day of the MedFest and Center opening arrived, the new Special Olympics athletes were already in the good hands of trained volunteers.

Dr. Shriver, toured the Health Center facilities, chatting with athletes, healthcare professionals and volunteers. He later made a keynote address about Special Olympics to a packed seminar room of Wenzhou Medical College Students.

The Eunice Kennedy Shriver Special Olympics Sports Health Center is the first of its kind in the Special Olympics Movement. It will leave a lasting legacy with the athletes it serves, the healthcare professionals who volunteer their time at the Center, and in the community of Wenzhou.