Last month Mark, Sean, Brian and Paul Etherington (shown here left to right) were awarded the King Charles III Coronation Medal in recognition of their contribution to Special Olympics and the creation of Motionball.Picasa/Supplied
The organizers: Brian, Kirsteen, Sean, Mark and Paul Etherington
The pitch: Raising $20-million and climbing
The cause: Special Olympics Canada
Ever since they launched Motionball more than 20 years ago, brothers Sean, Mark and Paul Etherington have seen the organization as more than a non-profit that raises money for Special Olympics, but also as a catalyst for changing Canadians’ attitudes toward people with intellectual disabilities.
Part of Motionball’s mission is an anti-bullying program that also monitors the use of such words as “retard” across social media.
“We have happily converted hundreds of thousands of Canadians to the importance of the Special Olympics movement and why mocking Canadians with an intellectual disability is wrong,” said Sean, who is president of Toronto-based CI Assante Wealth Management. “It’s about just simple decency, which our world needs right now more than ever.”
The brothers co-founded Motionball in 2002 as a day-long sports marathon that matches competitors with Special Olympics athletes in a series of events such as soccer, basketball and table tennis. There are now 50 annual Motionball events in 19 cities and various activities at 30 university campuses.
They got the idea from their father, Brian, who became involved with Special Olympics by chance in the early 1980s. One of his friends was head of Special Olympics in Ontario and he asked Brian for help. “He said, ‘Brian, you probably have never even heard of Special Olympics. We’re an organization that has no voice, has no fundraising and we’re in dire need of support. Would you consider helping us raise money?‘” recalled Mark, who works with Paul and Brian in the family’s Toronto-based retirement planning consultancy called Etherington Generations.
Brian and his wife Kirsteen became active volunteers and their sons joined in as well. “We fell in love with the cause,” added Mark.
Last month the Etheringtons were awarded the King Charles III Coronation Medal in recognition of their contribution to Special Olympics and the creation of Motionball.
“It’s an organizational win for Motionball,” said Paul. “It’s a recognition that we are making a difference in the lives of our Special Olympic athletes, and a recognition that the initiatives we put in place are working.”