The Special Youth Olympics of American Samoa held one of their major fundraisers at the Gov. H.Rex Lee Auditorium in Utulei this past Friday evening, July 4th — which featured Samoa’s favorite comedian, Tofiga Fepulea’i of “The Laughing Samoans”. The special event brought numerous supporters, families and friends together, especially the fans of the Laughing Samoans here in the territory.

Chairman of the Special Youth Olympics group Tafa Tua-Tupuola said, “It’s such a great pleasure to have everyone here to enjoy, embrace, and celebrate the fundraising for our special youth athletes, so they can represent American Samoa for the Special Olympic World Games. How important it is to rely on fundraising. One thing I want to share with everyone here who is able to attend and celebrate with us, is that, for the past 14 years we’ve had athletes, people with disabilities… who enjoy socializing throughout school from the time they start kindergarden."

"But by the time they finish high school, they remain at home a majority of the time. If we as people without disabilities struggle to get employment, imagine people with disabilities trying twice as hard or ten times as hard to get a job.

"These disabled individuals stay at home, and they feel to themselves that it’s their disability that keeps them at home. Imagine them not feeling proud of who they are. But it is through sports in the Special Olympics that transforms their spirit from being depressed, to being proud of who they are, and this is why we have been trying to push and reach out to those disabled individuals, to join the Special Olympics, and this is why we rely on fundraising, businesses, and people out there who are willing to support Special Olympics.”

Tua-Tupuola noted their recent trip to the Special Olympic Games in Australia, saying, “Many of our athletes weren’t certain of what to expect. We had athletes that didn’t socialize, didn’t communicate, athletes who had a very difficult time trying to make friends, but throughout the whole process of meeting other disabled athletes from other countries, they realized that there are other people out there who are just like them.”

She added, “But when they performed, you should’ve seen their spirit. They wanted to make their country proud of who they are — and this is what this program is all about, to allow people with disabilities to be proud of who they are, and in order for that to happen, we need to help them transform their spirit."