A Very Special Christmas (Special Olympics Series) Conversation with Tim Shriver, Vicki Iovine, Colbie Caillat, Carter Twins & Mitchel Musso – HuffPost 12.10.09

Mike Ragogna: Tim, what is the mission of the Special Olympics organization?

Tim Shriver: I think our movement is a force for social change, it’s a real civil rights movement in 180 countries around the world. In each of those countries, villages, cities, and towns, our job is to empower people with intellectual disabilities through sports to be successful and change the way people view them, to change the community’s perception. We can’t do that without resources, and we certainly can’t do it without (resources) in the poorest communities in the world where there is the greatest need. So, if you look at the discrimination facing people with intellectual disabilities all over the world, it’s particularly tough.

They’re the last to get a malaria bed, they’re the last to get a vaccine, the last to get an education, the last to get a job, the last to get health care, the last to join a youth organization. Our population is the most discriminated against in every community. Without the generosity of these artists who have contributed through this project, and without the corporate community of individuals who help us out each month and each year, those people would still be suffering the sting of rejection, still be sitting on the sidelines, and communities would still be subjecting their parents to shame and humiliation and injustice. I’ve seen this in pretty stark terms, but the reality is pretty stark. Where we’re able to get resources, we can make a huge difference, and where we’re not, the conditions are pretty grim.

MR: Who are the athletes participating in Special Olympics?

TS: Our focus is on intellectual disabilities, learning difficulties, what used to be called retardation. It’s no longer referred to by those terms, but that’s the old definition. People with autism, down syndrome, Williams syndrome, or other non-specific forms of learning disability. That’s our population.

MR: Your late mother Eunice Shriver was one of its biggest proponents and participants.

TS: She was a very adamant supporter of this movement. Right up until she was 87 years old, she was coaching. She was in the pool teaching swimming, she was out watching soccer clinics in her own back yard, making sure basketball hoops were appropriately adjusted for height and distance. She was really a rebel, deeply committed to sports as a woman, and as a social change agent, saw sports as a kind of battering ram, if you will, into society’s consciousness. Like other great innovators and entrepreneurs, she was into every little detail of what this movement was about and how to make the changes we were trying to make. This was not an honorary or a ceremonial thing, she wasn’t a penthouse philanthropist just writing checks or something like that. For her, this was her life’s work.

MR: When did you come on board?

TS: I grew up around the movement and these issues, but I joined the international office in 1996.

MR: It seems like Special Olympics always has been in the public eye, but how did it become so entrenched in our culture?

TS: What my parents and other pioneering sports and philanthropic leaders created in the seventies and eighties was a U.S. movement that was growing in the United States that finally had achieved maturity in many of the states, meaning they had year-round programs, summer and winter sports, they had the involvement of many thousands of athletes, and a series of outposts in different countries around the world where the program had been started. But they had not been able to get to that mature level of becoming a source for social change.

I think in the last ten or fifteen years, we’ve made a real effort to take seriously what it means to enculturate Special Olympics in every place from rural India to Rwanda, to develop the leadership in those countries that can understand the power of this movement and own it and bring it to life in those different contexts, and try to communicate back to all of our donors, athletes, families and volunteers that this is a civil rights movement. It’s not about pity. It’s about empowerment, it’s about recognizing value, it’s about changing whole communities, it’s about catalyzing different ways of seeing health care, education, public policy, all those things.

So, we’ve tried to deepen the value proposition, we’ve tried to expand the footprint, and we’ve tried to communicate a new message of dignity and value and empowerment that has given our athletes a chance. The great thing about this movement is that the athletes themselves, when given the chance, have a real vision, and it’s one of inclusion, openness, tolerance, friendship, teamwork, and it’s not some mom or dad’s or Tim Shriver’s vision. It’s their vision. My most enjoyable job is making sure that I listen well enough to the athletes and make sure that we follow their lead in how we set the agenda for this movement every day.

MR: What is it about this movement that touches you on a personal level?

TS: My family was involved for so long. I have five children, each of whom have coached and volunteered and played in what we call “unified sports” which is team sports–bowling and basketball in our family’s case. But there’s also unified golf, unified soccer, and several other sports. This has been a part of my family in every way. I’ve just been around it my whole life, and I’ve always found that I can get smarter and better at being a dad, better at being a colleague, better at being a friend if I spend more time around our athletes. They still have a lot of work to do on me, but I’m getting a better little by little.

MR: What is the relationship between Special Olympics and the A Very Special Christmasseries?

TS: All of the proceeds from A Very Special Christmas albums benefit our athletes and families and communities around the world. It’s totally designed to benefit the Special Olympics movement, to change lives through music. I like to say that rock ‘n’ roll and Special Olympics have one thing in common–they both celebrate people speaking from the heart. Why are great artists like Miley Cyrus, Colbie Caillat, The Carter Twins, Vanessa Hudgens, or Sean Kingston doing this for Special Olympics? I think they understand, on some level, that they have something in common with our athletes–that our athletes, like them, are artists in their own right. I think their from the heart message to the world is let your deepest, most powerful self come out. I think that’s what rock ‘n’ roll and popular music have celebrated in many respects over the years, and I think what these great artists see in our athletes are peers, not just causes.

MR: Vicki, when did your involvement with A Very Special Christmas begin?

Vicki Iovine: I was working for the Special Olympics a couple of years before that, it was about 24 years ago. Jimmy (Iovine) and I had gotten married and we didn’t have any kids yet, and I started volunteering at Special Olympics California answering phones, opening mail, and just trying to make myself useful around the office. It was for charity, no pay, and it was an incredible experience. Obviously, I was sharing that with my husband Jimmy, and he was getting to know the program and athletes, and he was very moved by it.

At about that time, Jimmy’s father passed away at age 62, and he died at Christmas. It was so dark and heartbreaking. Christmas as we knew it wasn’t ever gonna happen again because his dad was like Santa Claus–like a small, Italian Santa Claus. (laughs) Jimmy decided at that time that someday, he would do a tribute, a Christmas record by the biggest pop stars of the time. It would be original and traditional Christmas songs, and he would give all the proceeds to a non-profit. Well, I said, “How about Special Olympics?” I knew that for most of each dollar, the highest ratio of money went to the field, to the athletes and programs, and very little went to overhead like buildings, lights, salaries, and stuff like that. Jimmy agreed, he met the Sgt. And Eunice Shriver, and they hit it off like thunder. It was just so great, and we all became lifelong friends. So Jimmy started putting this record together, and we did it with Bobby Shriver and me.

MR: That first album was a very popular album at the time.

VI: It was extraordinary, and it really was a Jimmy Iovine production. You can’t get superstars to agree to do something if they don’t feel trust. They have to feel like they’re going to be a part of a project that reflects them as they like to be seen, and they have to be part of a project that moves them. It has to be part of an artistic environment that makes them feel understood and shown in their best light. Nobody could do that better than Jimmy.

MR: What was the recording process like?

VI: He was driving around meeting people with recording trucks after their shows…I mean, we did that thing all over. We traveled everywhere.

MR: It sounds like a massive undertaking. About how long did it take to put the album together?

VI: It took us over a year. We also had to get all the publishing for free, and all the artists for free. Because the first album actually came out on vinyl, we got the vinyl donated for free. We got the Keith Herring art for free. Nothing was paid for…even distribution was free by A&M.

MR: Keith Herring’s images became synonymous with the series. How did you get him to contribute his artwork?

VI: He had drawn this Madonna and child. He had a whole series called The Radiant Baby I think. Rich Frankel and Jeff Gold who worked at A&M had a relationship with him. He gave it to us not just once, but forever for free which is an amazing gesture.

MR: It was a natural for the album to come through A&M considering Jimmy’s connection at the time.

VI: Jimmy was running the studios and had a production deal at A&M. But really what happened was A&M was still one of those companies that was run by musicians, you know, Herb Alpert and Jerry Moss. So, you could go to real people, not people who used to be in the commodities or vegetable businesses. You got to go to the artists and say, “Hey you guys, come see these athletes, come with us to talk to Sarge and Eunice, come with us into the program.” Herb and Jerry and their wives did, and we became like a family. We remain so close, all of us, as a result of what we did all those years ago.

MR: A Very Special Christmas has been one of the most successful CD series’ ever.

VI: Yes, I know! Jimmy’s work with the records stopped at the second one, but there was really quite a franchise, and Bobby (Shriver) carried it on with the help of other people and Special Olympics.

MR: Many years have passed, and now it’s up to a seventh volume.

VI: In the interim, Bobby became mayor of Santa Monica, I had four children, Jimmy created Interscope Records. So this record is particularly exciting for me because people who are appearing on it are almost all in their twenties.

MR: Yeah, it’s also a uniquely young sounding album.

VI: It’s a young album, but so were we! We were young and starting our lives. This is the time when kids have that passion and energy, and their hearts are still so open to other people with needs. This is what Sgt. Shriver understood about Vista and The Peace Corps–if young people, before they get their long-term career and their family commitment get that un-harnessed energy out, you can change the world.

MR: Do you see the results of everyone’s hard work?

VI: I just flew in from Columbia, from South America last night. From the Christmas records, the vast majority of the money keeps the programs alive. We help in countries that are so impoverished that they could never depend on personal contributions like we do in America. One of the most astonishing things in Columbia is we have an incredible program going in Medejin. When you think of Medejin, what do you think of? Cocaine cartels, right? It’s a city that is so much safer now and has this amazing Special Olympics organization that just grows and grows.

MR: Where else have you seen positive effects?

VI: I’ve been to Nepal to see Special Olympics, I’ve been to American Indian reservations, South America, Mexico, where programs were paid for entirely by the Christmas records, and programs wouldn’t exist without them. And there’s the Chinese program. When Sgt. Shriver first went there to suggest Special Olympics to them, it took him ten years, and that was when they officially didn’t have any people with mental retardation. Now, they have this huge program, and they’re able to match our funding.

MR: What are some of the benefits beyond having the Special Olympics themselves?

VI: The project brings other advantages to the athletes such as vision checking and teeth checking, and a lot of other non-governmental organizations help. Once we get the organization to reach the people with needs, then we can bring help to them. Through sports, achievement, challenge, and teamwork, these athletes’ lives are so enriched. They now have lives.

MR: You must be very proud of the good that grew out of everyone’s efforts.

VI: You know, it doesn’t mean anything to me intellectually until I go to a place, like when you go to an open field in Nepal and see a track meet and field games, then you just weep. I couldn’t believe I had the good fortune to be involved in something like that. It’s such a blessing and things do tend to proliferate. And music is so universal that the athletes love listening to the Christmas records knowing they were made for them no matter what language they speak.

MR: What’s the future for A Very Special Christmas?

VI: Well, I think it plays a very important in the transition of Special Olympics from having being a Eunice and Sgt. Shriver organization to being an organization that is worldwide, and run by a whole new young generation of people who understand that people with intellectual disabilities deserve all the chances that anyone else deserves, and that we are responsible for each other. So I’m so excited by getting these young people to become the new spokespersons for Special Olympics. Let them reinvent it, as long as they stick to the standards and integrity, let them rock and roll it!

MR: Colbie, Carters, and Mitchel. How did you choose the songs you contributed to A Very Special Christmas 7?

Colbie Caillat: “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas” is one of my favorite Christmas songs. It’s happy and cheerful and hopeful, and I love singing it. So I had my guitar player mess around with it with me, I wanted to make it like it was a song that could be on my record as well, in my style, like a very acoustic, Southern California feel.

Josh Carter: We chose the track “Let It Snow!…” because we knew one of the guys at our booking agency’s dad actually wrote the song. We decided to make our own version of it and make it cool because there are so many versions out there that all sound alike.

Zach Carter: We were given a list of potential songs that we could sing and “Let It Snow!..” wasn’t even on there. So we decided, “You know what? We really like it.” Although it’s been done a lot, we were like, “Let’s try and find a way that we can make it a Carter Twins version and make it completely our own.” So that’s what we tried to do.

Mitchel Musso: I was so excited when I heard I was recording “Jingle Bell Rock” cause it is super upbeat and it reminds me of the movie Home Alone.

MR: Zach, what brought you and your brother into the Special Olympics fold?

ZC: Our publicist was the publicist for Special Olympics, so she asked, “Hey, do you want to be a part of the A Very Special Christmas album?” We were like, “Oh my gosh, of course we would!” It just kind of blossomed from there. We got to go out to L.A. and play at the Shriver’s house for this big Special Olympics party with Gwen Stefani and Colbie Caillat and Mitch Musto and a bunch of these people. It was just crazy.

MR: Colbie, what does A Very Special Christmas mean to you?

CC: You know what’s awesome is that my mom bought all the albums when I was growing up, and that’s what we’d listen to every Christmas, all of those albums. I remember the cover of the albums perfectly. Every year, we’d put them on, change them up. When I heard that I could be involved with this record, I was so excited, and my mom was too because she’s been a part of supporting that for years now. So, when I found out that I could be a part of helping that cause and be on an amazing album, I was honored.

MR: What are your thoughts about the Special Olympics?

JC: We got involved with Special Olympics because we felt strongly about the organization and what it represented.

ZC: When we were in L.A., we got to meet some of the athletes. You know, you hear all these stories, you read about the kids, but you never actually get to meet them and see the faces behind the story. It’s a heartwarming organization and we’re so proud to be a part of it.

CC: It’s amazing. It gives opportunities to intellectually disabled people to compete in these sports and have fun, learn, grow up, have a good time, and find themselves. It’s in 180 countries around the world, and I actually can’t wait to get to go and watch one of the Special Olympics in some country.

MM: Everybody deserves a chance to compete, win, and feel special. It is a wonderful opportunity given to children and adults with special needs.

MR: Have you hung out with any of the other artists on this project?

CC: The Carter Brothers. I got to meet them, and Gwen Stefani was at the party as well. She’s not on this album, but she’s been on previous ones. Those are the only ones I got to meet so far.

MM: Why Yes….one of my favorite entertainers and dear friend who I admire a great deal was also on the album with me….her initials are MC!

ZC: Yeah, we got to hang out with Colbie and Mitchel and Gwen Stefani and a lot of the different artists. It was a lot of fun.

MR: Zach, before the party, were you a fan of any of these artists?

ZC: Completely! It was actually kind of funny, Josh and I were star-struck with Gwen Stefani, and No Doubt members were there too. You know, we were listening to No Doubt for years and years, so it was crazy to see Gwen up on stage and Colbie Caillat–we’re HUGE fans of Colbie. I think we were fans of everyone there!

MR: Mitch, have you met any of the athletes from the Special Olympics?

MM: When I was in Atlanta on my tour we invited a group of kids from the Special Olympics to a special meet-and-greet. They were a cool group of kids and I felt honored to meet them.

MR: Do you all see yourselves participating with the Special Olympics organization in the future?

MM: Yes, I would love to get more involved and I love hanging with all the kids.

JC: This is something we’ll always be associated with and always be helping out in the future. We’ll be a part of it long-term.

ZC: Like Josh said, I think we’ll continue wanting to help out. Special Olympics needs all the help it can get, and we’ll always be involved just like everything we do because it’s such a great thing.

CC: I would love to! If I could continue to be on the albums in the future, and if I can go to the parties, help, speak, give interviews, and explain to people what the Special Olympics are and how they can help out, I would definitely love to be a part of that.

MR: Colbie, what song are you and Jason Mraz going to do on the next volume?

CC: (laughs) We’ll see. We may go to Hawaii and write one in the future, I don’t know…