special olympics

Yesterday the Baltimore Ravens hosted a flag football tournament for the Special Olympics at their Owings Mills Training Facility. There were several teams from Baltimore and Howard county competing for…well, the joy of competition. There wasn’t a face in the building without a smile on it, and it was truly remarkable to see those kids running around the field, diving after footballs with such triumphant spirits, despite their individual challenges.

I will always have a special place in my heart for the Special Olympics and for anyone who suffers from a mental or physical disability. I lost my three year old brother Adam when I was in elementary school due to serious defects in his heart. Adam was also mentally handicapped with a disorder similar to Down’s Syndrome, but without the recognizable facial attributes. In his short time on this earth he taught me a lot of valuable lessons which I will always carry with me through life…..I hope you will enjoy the pictures.

P.S. Just for the fellow “Photo-Geek’s” like myself….Most of these images were shot at ISO 10,000.(For regular people, that means it was DARK!!!)