Special Olympics New Jersey president Marc Edenzon (right) with athlete Michael Toepert. Edenzon left SONJ last month to accept a position at the Special Olympics global office in Washington, D.C.
By Michael Nunes
For Marc Edenzon, the inspiration to help the disabled came after he watched one news report.
Geraldo Rivera’s 1972 investigative report on the Willowbrook State School in Long Island showed the deplorable conditions in which the mentally disabled were being kept.
“Seeing that piece led me into the field of special education,” Edenzon said.
Disgusted by what he saw, Edenzon decided to dedicate his life to ensuring people with disabilities were included. That goal is now taking Edenzon from his local roots in Lawrence to the nation’s capital to pursue his dream on the world stage.
On Sept. 15, Edenzon stepped down from his position as president of New Jersey Special Olympics to take on the role of Chief of Global Programs at the Special Olympics global office in Washington, D.C.
In his new position as Chief of Global Programs, Edenzon will oversee sports, community and empowerment initiatives all over the world.
“I think that there are incredible challenges around the world, and as I watch the team out of Washington, it’s a remarkable group of individuals who are committed to improving the lives of persons with disabilities throughout the world,” he said.
Edenzon will draw from three decades’ worth of experience with SONJ to help athletes with disabilities all over the world.
As president of SONJ, Edenzon oversaw the facilitation of programs and services all over the state available to thousands of athletes. SONJ currently has 24 Olympic-type sporting events and, thanks to fund raising, ensures that these events are free of charge to all athletes.
Edenzon has been with SONJ for 30 years. Before joining SONJ, he worked for the New Jersey Neo-Psychiatric Institute. His first experience with Special Olympics was the creation a basketball program at the institute.
When he joined SONJ, Edenzon volunteered as a coach for the basketball program, then was moved up to sports training director 1984. As sports director, he witnessed a rework of the sporting program during its expansion from 7 to 20 different sports.
In 1995, Edenzon became executive director, and from there moved on to his most recent role as president.
Since then he has seen the organization grow from 10,000 athletes to its current 24,000. Fundraising has also been more successful as the yearly budget quadrupled to $8 million, 82 percent of which is spent to benefit the athletes.
“Special Olympics is an incredible group of individuals who are more passionate than I could have ever imagined,” Edenzon said. “All our goals were reached because of their efforts.”
Leaving SONJ is a difficult thing for Edenzon to do. To many people at SONJ, it is still hard to separate Edenzon from their image of the organization.
“For a lot of us he has been the organization,” said Susan Colacello, education and families director.
As president of the organization, Edenzon had been the ideological force driving SONJ forward. His commitment to creating a more inclusive community all over the state has inspired those working alongside him.
“He believes in a fully inclusive world where everyone lives and plays together, and he lives that every day,” Colacello said.
Edenzon lives in Montgomery with his wife Kathleen and their two children. Sixteen years ago the couple also adopted a child, Zachary, who has Down Syndrome.
The high point in Edenzon’s time at SONJ came when his own adopted son, Zachary, competed in track. Despite not being an athlete, Zachary surprised onlookers as he passed the lead runner and won the gold.
“The most rewarding thing was when he got to the finish line and his teammates recognized it. They came up to the fence and cheered for him. It was not just the physical achievement but the fact he cognitively understood it,” Edenzon said.
Despite his departure from SONJ, Edenzon was confident that the framework for growth that the organization has created over the years will continue to prosper no matter what economic conditions are. Despite the recent recession, the organization has still been able to grow financially.
“That one thing Special Olympics do that’s different from other not-for-profits is that we grow though relations,” Edenzon said.
Despite nearly doubling SONJ in size since he joined, Edenzon still thinks that SONJ is the “best kept secret” of the community. Part of the reason he feels this is true is because the organization always puts the athletes first.
That commitment to the athletes is what drives the organization. The key to growing the organization further, Edenzon said, are the youth athletes who are the future of the organization. Reaching out to parents about their children joining SONJ is also paramount, he added.
Even though SONJ holds over 200 competitive events a year round, Edenzon said many people do not know about any events outside of track and field.
A major boost in publicity for SONJ was being able to host the USA games in June. Hosting that event allowed SONJ to show off how well it is organized and the commitment of volunteers to the cause.
“You can only go so far, and the talent here could take this organization to the next level,” Edenzon said.
By adding his talents to the Special Olympics global headquarters, Edenzon seeks to expand the games in countries that are just starting to begin their own Special Olympic programs. He was pulled to his new position not by desire, but feels it is his own responsibility to take what he helped to create in the Garden State and apply it all over the world.
No matter who replaces Edenzon at SONJ, it is clear that the organization will stay focused on the future and better serving athletes all over the state.
“Special Olympics is a family. It’s going to have a different head of the table, but it will always be a family,” Colacello said.
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