[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 177 (Wednesday, December 2, 2009)]
[Senate]
[Page S12156]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         TRIBUTE TO DONALD DOWD

 Mr. KERRY. Mr. President, I congratulate Don Dowd for his 
longtime public service to New England and to the Commonwealth of 
Massachusetts. For more than half a century Mr. Dowd has been a fixture 
in the culture, civic life, and politics of our region of the United 
States. I also congratulate one of the many organizations with which 
Mr. Dowd has been associated--Special Olympics Massachusetts, part of 
the international Special Olympics organized by Eunice Shriver in 1968.
  Special Olympics Massachusetts has just moved into a new state-of-
the-art office and training center in Marlborough. The Yawkey Sports 
Training Center has training rooms, a gymnasium and outdoor soccer 
fields, all right in the heart of Massachusetts, less than a 90-minute 
drive from 90 percent of the population of the Commonwealth.
  Mr. Dowd has been one of the biggest and most active supporters of 
Special Olympics, a global force for understanding and change, 
involving 2.5 million athletes representing more than 140 countries. 
Special Olympics Massachusetts currently serves more than 10,000 
athletes and involves 11,000 volunteers and 1,600 coaches. With its new 
training center, which opened this fall, Special Olympics Massachusetts 
hopes to expand the program to 20,000 athletes by 2010. Mr. Dowd began 
his public service career as the Assistant Regional Director of the 
U.S. Postal Service for the six New England States during the 
Presidency of John F. Kennedy. He was political adviser to Robert F. 
Kennedy's Presidential campaign in 1968. And he was an aide and close 
friend to Senator Edward M. Kennedy throughout Ted's entire 47-year 
career in the Senate. Mr. Dowd coordinated the 1979 opening of the John 
F. Kennedy Presidential Library and has served as a member of the John 
F. Kennedy Library Foundation Board since its inception. Mr. Dowd 
continues to do consulting work since his retirement from his regional 
executive position with the Coca-Cola Company.
  He is a lifelong resident of Springfield, MA, and as such once played 
a little known role in getting Ted Kennedy to make a cameo appearance 
in a video production. Twentieth Century Fox had invited every town 
named Springfield to enter videos to make the case that their town 
should be the Springfield in ``The Simpsons'' animated movie and 
television program, and it was no secret that the mayor in the Simpsons 
cartoon was a spoof on Ted.
  Mr. President, I thank Mr. Dowd for his service and dedication to our 
region and our country. And I congratulate Special Olympics 
Massachusetts on their new facilities and express my appreciation for 
all it contributes to the physical, social, and psychological 
development of people with intellectual disabilities.

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