SHANGHAI, October 5 -- Twelve families from 12 cities across China were united in Shanghai on October 9 for a "Blending Journey" to the 2007 Special Olympics World Summer Games.

All the families have one thing in common: they have a family member who is mentally challenged.

Organized by the Special Olympics steering committee, the "Blending Journey" is the last event of a program called "Special Olympics e-home," a volunteer program sponsored by the Website Shanghai Online (www.online.sh.cn).

It aims to help needy families with intellectually disabled members to mingle with the athletes and attend events of the Special Olympics.

A welcome ceremony was held soon after the 12 families arrived in Shanghai on October 9."In my heart, the Special Olympics is just like my family from which I can feel the confidence and happiness in my life," Zhang Jinhao, an intellectually challenged child in the family from Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, said at the ceremony.

"I hope I can become a useful person for society when I grow up, and I believe that I can do it."

During the ceremony, Zhang Ming, a 21-year-old intellectually challenged singer of the family from Beijing, sang a traditional Chinese song "Father."

I want to dedicate the song to all of the people who take care of me like my father," he said.

Zhang sang the song with tears. When he finished, he said loudly: "Papa I love you."

The tearful audience applauded wildly as he hugged his father.

Special Olympics International Chairman Timothy Shriver said: "I want to thank you, Zhang's father, because you have brought up such a good son."

Two families prepared drawings by their intellectually challenged children as gifts for Eunice Kennedy Shriver, founder of the Special Olympics.

During the ceremony, the mentally disabled people from the 12 families also signed their names on a giant China map at the places they come from.

Today, the 12 families will watch Special Olympics competitions and visit the Oriental Pearl tower.

They will also watch the closing ceremony of the Games at the Jiangwan Stadium tomorrow night.

"The program of Special Olympics e-home provides a platform for families with mentally disabled to blend into the 2007 Special Olympics World Summer Games," said Yang Jie, manager of the Website Shanghai Online.

"We launched the first phase of the program 100 days before the Games. "The application process was through the Website and 20 local families volunteered to take part, establishing close relationships with local needy families," he said.

"At the farewell party, I saw an autistic child holding hands with a local family member, calling her sister and reluctant to leave.

"At that time I felt we did the right thing."