"Let me win. But if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt."

That's the oath athletes competing in the Special Olympics take. The sporting competition which empowers mentally retarded individuals is being honored again on a U.S. postage stamp.

The 80-cent stamp was issued Thursday in Chicago.

The Special Olympics organization was founded by Eunice Kennedy Shriver in 1968. Starting at age 8, those with mental retardation can take part in the event. It matches athletes in a variety of summer and winter activities. Athletes are grouped according to ability.

The first Special Olympics World Games were in Chicago in 1968. It featured 1,000 athletes from the United States and Canada. This year for the first time the World Games will be held outside the United States. Scheduled every four years, the 2003 games are set for Dublin, Ireland, on June 20-29.

The Dublin event is expected to draw 500,000 athletes and will be the largest sporting event in the world this year. The event include badminton, basketball, bowling, cycling, soccer, golf, gymnastics, handball, roller skating, sailing, table tennis, tennis and volleyball.

The 2007 summer games will be in Shanghai, China. The winter games will be in Nagano, Japan, Feb. 26 to March 6, 2005.

The stamp's design, with computer-generated artwork by Lance Hidy of Merrimac, Mass., shows an athlete grasping the raised hands of fellow competitors.

The 80-cent value on the stamp pays the basic international letter rate for letters weighing up to 1 ounce to countries around the world.

This is the fourth time the United States has recognized the Special Olympics on a stamp.

In 1979, a 15-cent stamp showing a smiling athlete proudly holding her medal was issued. In 1985, a stamp showing a skater and skier came out for the winter games.

And in 2000 as part of the Celebrate the Century series, a stamp showing a Special Olympics medal was issued. The Evansville Stamp Club has elected its officers for 2003. Tom Springer was named president. The other officers are Jack Zahn, vice president; Madeleine Schmitt, secretary; and Philip Reisinger, treasurer.

The club meets the third Tuesday of each month at Uniseal Inc., 1014 Uhlhorn St., with auctions alternating with program meetings. 

By Larry Duhe, MyInky