Event Information
The Rafer Johnson Breakfast with Champions
WHEN
Saturday, June 8 at 11:00 a.m.
WHERE
Cal State University Long Beach
Student Union
1212 N Bellflower Blvd, Long Beach, CA 90815
Dress Code: Smart Casual or SOSC Gear.
Master of Ceremonies
Kirk Hawkins
KTLA News Anchor
Kirk Hawkins has served as a Weather Anchor, Traffic anchor, News Anchor, and Reporter since he joined the KTLA 5 News Team in December 2014. Prior to KTLA, Kirk worked for ABC News, NBC News, KCBS/KCAL as well as stations in Charlotte, Orlando, Spokane, and Santa Barbara. Kirk is the recipient of two Edward R. Murrow Awards, an L.A. Press Club award, and an Emmy nomination.
He has also appeared in feature films, television shows, and a Super Bowl commercial playing himself. Kirk graduated from the University of California in Santa Barbara with degrees in Communication and Political Science. He also minored in history. He was born in Santa Monica and grew up in Agoura Hills.
Keynote Speaker
Bill Shumard
President Emeritus (SOSC)
Bill Shumard served as President/CEO of Special Olympics Southern California (SOSC) from 2005 to 2020, after five years on the Board of Directors. From September 2020 to September 2022, Bill transferred to serve as President Emeritus. Then from October 2022 until February 2023, he assumed the interim CEO role before fully retiring in June 2023.
Under his leadership, SOSC became a premier program globally, serving over 5 million athletes in 180 countries with 70 full-time employees and 18,000 volunteers, operating on a $19 million budget. Athlete participation quadrupled to 38,200, and the average age dropped from 37 to 16 due to the Schools Program. SOSC hosted the 2015 Special Olympics World Summer Games and earned a four-star rating from Charity Navigator since 2016. Before SOSC, Shumard had a successful sports management career, including roles with the Los Angeles Dodgers and USC. At CSULB, he tripled student-athlete graduation rates and raised over $7 million for projects. In 2015, he was named Distinguished Alumnus at CSULB.
Athlete Speaker
Sasha Cruz
Sasha has trained and competed in softball and swimming for almost ten years and considers Special Olympics to be her second family. She was incredibly proud to represent Special Olympics Southern California in the 2022 Special Olympics USA Games as a swimming athlete, winning a silver medal in the 100-yard freestyle. Sasha enjoys her role as an athlete leader and values the opportunity to share her story with elected leaders during Capitol Hill Day.
Athlete Parent Speaker
Michele Joss-Houghton
About Rafer Johnson
For decades, Rafer Johnson has shined both on and off the sports field. In the 1960 Olympic Games, he was USA team captain and won the gold medal in the decathlon. In 1984, Rafer lit the cauldron to open the Olympics in Los Angeles.
While Rafer’s celebrity came from sports, he used his influence to change the world. Along with supporting dozens of charities, he founded Special Olympics California in 1969. Special Olympics Southern California will carry on Rafer’s legacy to be
“The Best We Can Be.”
