President’s Corner: November

Dear Supporter,

Throughout November, I’ve often reflected on the parable known as Two Boats and a Helicopter:

A storm floods a small town. A preacher, kneeling in prayer, declines rescue offers from a canoe, a motorboat, and a helicopter, insisting that God will save him. Tragically, he drowns. When he meets God in heaven, he asks why he wasn’t saved. God replies, “I sent you two boats and a helicopter.”

A storm descends on a small town, and the downpour soon turns into a flood. As the waters rise, the local preacher kneels in prayer on the church porch, surrounded by water. By and by, one of the townsfolk comes up the street in a canoe.

“Better get in, Preacher. The waters are rising fast.”
“No,” says the preacher. “I have faith in the Lord. He will save me.”

Still the waters rise. Now the preacher is up on the balcony, wringing his hands in supplication, when another guy zips up in a motorboat.

“Come on, Preacher. We need to get you out of here. The levee’s gonna break any minute.”

Once again, the preacher is unmoved. “I shall remain. The Lord will see me through.”

After a while the levee breaks, and the flood rushes over the church until only the steeple remains above water. The preacher is up there, clinging to the cross, when a helicopter descends out of the clouds, and a state trooper calls down to him through a megaphone.

“Grab the ladder, Preacher. This is your last chance.”
Once again, the preacher insists the Lord will deliver him.

And, predictably, he drowns. A pious man, the preacher goes to heaven. After a while he gets an interview with God, and he asks the Almighty, “Lord, I had unwavering faith in you. Why didn’t you deliver me from that flood?” God shakes his head. “What did you want from me? I sent you two boats and a helicopter.”

This story came to mind the day after the election. Special Olympics Maryland is an apolitical, nonpartisan organization, but we’re a team of 42 serving nearly 20,000 athletes and Unified teammates, touching their families, and engaging over 6,000 volunteers annually. Ignoring the range of emotions following the election would be naïve, but I had not planned on addressing anything related to the election with our team.

On November 6, I had a packed schedule. First, I visited Sandy Point State Park for a walk-through with Nina Gaw, who recently joined our team to oversee operations for the 2025 MSP Polar Bear Plunge. Claire Huston and Allison Christian joined to provide insights on Plunge logistics. Next, we attended a safety meeting at the Maryland State Police Annapolis Barrack with representatives from various agencies.

Later, I met with Chris Wack, Director of Corporate Sales for the Baltimore Ravens and a member of our Board of Directors, along with Claire Huston and Brian Comiskey. Despite the full day of meetings, the election didn’t come up—until my next call.

While driving, I joined a meeting with our JEDI (Justice, Equity, Diversity, Inclusion) team, focused on advancing our DEI commitments. Early in the meeting, a team member paused to suggest we discuss the election, especially given the group’s purpose, which led to a meaningful exchange that would not have occurred if not for this team member’s willingness to raise the topic. Following this meeting, I received additional feedback, the team member who suggested that we discuss the elections thought that I should have initiated the conversation about election’s impact on our team, particularly given the significance of the moment.

Inspired by Adam Grant’s Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don’t Know, I embraced the opportunity to reflect on this suggestion which ultimately prompted me to rethink the approach that I would take during our all-staff meeting the next day. I started by recounting the previous day’s experience and how it moved me to rethink. I emphasized that we would stay true to our commitment to being an apolitical organization while reinforcing that we have an opportunity to leverage the value of our mission to bring people together for the benefit of our athletes. Acknowledging the emotional weight of the election, I encouraged understanding, respect, and unity, reinforcing the values that guide us.

The weeks since the election have reinforced the value of our athletes in building inclusive communities of dignity and respect. Keep in mind this follows an incredibly pack Fall Sports Season calendar that concluded with our state soccer tournament on October 27^th. Just a few highlights include:

• November 7: Red Ball Tennis at Ocean Pines Racquet Club
• November 12: Interscholastic Unified Sports State Tennis Tournament with 175 student-athletes with and without intellectual disabilities
• November 12: Garrett County Public Schools Elementary School Unified Bocce County Championship, 50+ students from six schools
• November 13: Catoctin High School recognized as an ESPN Unified Champion School Honor Roll member
• November 13-16: Delegation of 32 attended the 2024 Law Enforcement Torch Run International Conference
• November 17: hosted four regional bowling tournaments across the state  
• November 19: Interscholastic Unified Sports State Flag Football Tournament with 100 athletes and teams
• November 21: Special Olympics Maryland Thank-A-Thon led by 12 athletes
• November 23: Women’s Summit presented by Sheetz

Athlete leaders played pivotal roles in events like the Thank-A-Thon and Women’s Summit, demonstrating the power of inclusive leadership. Since joining Special Olympics in 1986, I’ve seen how our athletes transcend barriers, creating connections across diverse communities. As humorist Robert Benchley once said, “There are two kinds of people in the world: those who believe there are two kinds of people, and those who don’t.” Our athletes remind us there are infinite ways to connect, inspire, and lead.

During our all-staff meeting, I encouraged the team to focus on the hope our athletes bring to others, both on and off the field. Our mission reveals them as champions for unity, inspiring us to include their leadership in building stronger, more inclusive communities across Maryland.

I’m proud of how our team made November impactful for so many. The signs are clear: we have the capacity to bring people together in ways that strengthen communities. As we move forward, we’ll remain vigilant in creating more leadership opportunities for our athletes, ensuring their voices continue to drive our mission of dignity, respect, and inclusion.