Memorandum Date: May 21, 1993 To: Sheila Burke From: Alec Vachon Re: Financial Support for Polish Disabled Sailing Team You asked me to investigate sources of support for a Polish team of disabled sailors. The background materials are attached. I located and spoke with the organizers, National Handicapped Sports, located in Rockville. A two-page summary of the "World Disabled Sailing Championships" is also attached. Kirk Bauer, Executive Director of National Handicapped Sports, told me that participation is already heavily subsidized (e.g., boats are supplied, etc.), and knew of no sources of additional support for competing teams. Incidentally, the Polish team has signed up but has asked that their registration and other fees be temporarily deferred. Incidentally, exclusive of air travel, direct costs (registration, meals, housing, etc.) for the 4-man team for the 7-day competition come to about $1300. I was not able to locate any Polish-American or other, broad-based disability group. However, Bauer and I discussed two other funding suggestions: 1. Commercial sponsorship. This is the best shot - encourage the team to contact American or other foreign companies doing business in Poland. Commercial sponsorship is still unfamiliar in many Central and Eastern European countries, but is of course a typical funding mechanism here. And, e.g., IBM partly underwrote an "Eastern European Conference on Disability" in Prague in April 1992. Also, if the sailing team is interested in support for a specific cost (e.g., air travel), they might consider contacting directly a relevant business (e.g., an airline). 2. Generic Polish-American affinity group. Apparently, the Polish Ambassador has tried this by contacting by the American Committee for Aid to Poland, but surely there are other groups. They might also try contacting members of Congress with a large Polish constituency, e.g., Mr. Rostenkowski. If I can be helpful in any other way, please let me know. cc: D. Stanley WORLD DISABLED SAILING CHAMPIONSHIPS SUMMARY (End of Title) Event Description The World Disabled Sailing Championships will be held for the first time in the United States at the Eastern Point Yacht Club in Gloucester, Massachusetts, August 20-25, 1993. The Championships will be conducted by National Handicapped Sports (NHS) in partnership with its affiliate the National Ocean Access Project (NOAP) . The event is sanctioned by the International Yacht Racing Union (IYRU), International Foundation Disabled Sailing (IFDS), and U.S. Sailing. These organizations, along with the Eastern Point Yacht Club, will provide on-the-water support for the event. Between 16 and 25 countries are expected to send four-man teams made up of physically disabled individuals, including amputees, paraplegics, quadriplegics, visually impaired and others. Countries will include the U.S., Canada, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Switzerland, Poland, Great Britain, Sweden, Denmark, Germany, New Zealand, Australia and others. Distinguished Guests Ted Kennedy, Jr., an amputee and avid sailor, and son of Senator Ted Kennedy, has agreed to lend his name to the event and be honorary chairperson for the Championships. Princess Christina, daughter of King Juan Carlos of Spain, intends to come to the U.S. event. The Princess is an avid sailor and well-known in the international sailing community. NHS will plan media events around Ted Kennedy and Princess Christina's attendance. We expect that this will help attract media attention. Ted Hood has agreed to serve on the Honorary Race Committee. Bill Koch, winner of the America's Cup, has also been asked to serve on the committee. Other guests will be invited. Marketing Effort In promoting the World Disabled Sailing Championships, sponsors will be highlighted throughout the entire marketing effort. Sponsors will appear on banners, press packets and press letterhead and other promotional materials. A video news release, with sponsors highlighted, will be produced by NHS and will be distributed via satellite feed to media. Press releases and announcements with race results, mentioning sponsors, will be generated throughout the event. NHS will provide free airline transportation (compliments of United Airlines) and accommodations for selected media to attend. Television and print media in the region and national media that has been targeted, receive media kits and follow-up phone calls from the NHS staff. The staff's friendly but persistent style is what we believe is the reason for securing over 150 million actual media impressions in 1990. During one event in the 1991 season NHS's public relations staff secured over 130 million media impressions, including ten appearances on CNN Headline News. NHS sporting events have appeared on such shows as ABC's "Good Morning America," Cable News Network, ESPN, National Public Radio, Armed Forces Radio and Television, and publications, such as USA Today, Washington Post, New York Daily News, Denver Post, stars and Stripes military newspaper and dozens of metropolitan area newspapers around the country. Gold Sponsors Committed To Date United Airlines will be the official airline of the event and will help fly staff, volunteers and press to the event. AdvantageHEALTH Corporation, a northeast health care corporation, has also committed to providing funding and medical staff. The Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority will provide wheelchair accessible transportation for all participants during the week of the event and transportation to and from the airport. Special Events: Disabled Children's Programs Among special events during the Championships, NHS will host Learn to Sail clinics for disabled children recruited from children's hospitals and other agencies serving disabled children in the Boston area. The children will also be given a chance to view the races from a chartered boat. Other activities planned will include clam bakes, banquets and VIP receptions. Organizational Capabilities NHS has over 25 years of experience in conducting national and regional sports competitions and educational events. NHS's affiliate and partner in the sailing championships, NOAP, has over six years of experience in conducting national sailing programs for people with disabilities. Through these programs, thousands of physically disabled individuals have begun to rebuild their lives through participation in sailing and sail competitions. NHS and NOAP have worked with U.S. Sailing to conduct national sailing championships and helped to sponsor the U.S. Disabled Sailing Team's participation in the International Sailing Competition at the 1992 Paralympic Games in Barcelona. Individuals who are well trained and knowledgeable about disabled sports assume key roles in conducting the competitions. BOB DOLE Kansas UNITED STATES SENATE Office of the Republican Leader Washington, DC 20510-7020 May 7, 1993 (Illegible handwritten note covers left half of page) ... months ago I sent a ... asking for help in finding ... to participate in the ... for the disabled in Boston ... $2,000. ... Polish Embassy today asking ... help from any sources he ... to ask Mo to check into it ... longer on the staff. ... worthy effort, and if there is ... have any ideas I'm sure it ... Handwritten message at bottom of page: Thanks - Margaret December 4, 1992 AMBASADA RZECZYPOSPOLITEJ POLSKIEJ W WASZYNGTONIE EMBASSY OF THE REPUBLIC OF POLAND 2640 16th Street, N.W. WASHINGTON, D.C. 20009 TELEPHONE /202/ 234-3800 FAX /202/ 328-6271 Mr. Gifford D. Malone President American Committee for Aid to Poland P.O. Box 6275 McLean, VA 22106-6275 Dear Mr. President: Knowing about the greatly diversified character of private voluntary organizations active in Poland with which the ACAP has direct contacts, I allow myself to ask you for advise or, possibly, help in the following rather special matter. I have just received a letter from Dr. Stefan Niesiolowski, one of the deputies to the Sejm (Polish Parliament) in behalf of Polish disabled sailors who, for the last five years, have been participating in the international sailing championships for the disabled as the only such representation from the countries of East and Central Europe. The next championships -the Handicap Trophy 93 -will take place in Boston in August 1993, to which Polish disabled sailors are planning to send two crews. At the present time they are undertaking efforts to gain financial support in order to cover the relevant costs estimated at ca. $2,000.00. The purpose of this letter, Mr. President, is to ask you whether any of the ACAP-affiliated private organizations dealing with problems of the disabled or with related matters would be interested in helping the disabled sailors crews in their plans. As far as I know, you will hold your next meeting in a few days which perhaps would be an occasion to make a relevant appeal, if of course, you find it proper. Also, I would be grateful for any ideas you may have on what other organizations could be approached in this connection. Sending you my warm regards, I shall be awaiting your kind reply. Cordially yours, Kazimierz Dziewanowski Ambassador