The Second Special Olympics East Asia Regional Advisory Council Meeting, hosted by SOEA and organized by Wenzhou Medical College, was successfully held in Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China at December 12-13, 2009. Considering that Special Olympics has started one of the most important planning season for the movement, SOEA hosted the second RAC meeting in 2009 so it may serve as a good platform for all SOEA Programs to discuss the vision and strategic priorities for 2011-2015. Leaders from all 5 SOEA Programs, including the Chairmen, Board members, and National Directors, attended the meeting, while also present were special guests such as SOI Board member Dr. Dicken Yung, SOEA senior advisor Mr. Wang Zhijun and SOEA Fundraising Committee Chairman Mr. Shi Derong. The management and part of the staff of SOEA regional office also attended the meeting. And a Unified Bocce activity was arranged for all to join in with the local Special Olympics athletes in the afternoon of Dec. 13.

Group photoo

Unified bocce activity

The organizer of the RAC meeting, Wenzhou Medical College, has been supporting Special Olympics, especially the SO Healthy Athletes Program, for the past years. It operates a Eunice Kennedy Shriver Medical Center, the first such center named by the founder of Special Olympics, having provided medical screening for thousands of Special Olympics athletes.

The RAC meeting is the most important leadership meeting for the Region. Being held one or two times each year, the meeting is a platform for leaders from the 5 SOEA Program, i.e., SO China, SO Chinese Taipei, SO Hong Kong, SO Korea and SO Macau, to share experiences and plans of Special Olympics development in their respective Program and discuss key issues regarding the overall development of the Special Olympics movement.