|
UCC Press Release
HARTFORD (03/09/2007) -- Billy Mills, the first and only American athlete to win a gold medal in the 10,000-meter event at the Olympic games, will participate in the UCC's day-long "Synod in the City," June 23 in Hartford, Conn. As part of the UCC's 50th anniversary General Synod, June 22-26, "Synod in the City" will include dozens of performers, speakers, theologians, musicians, and multimedia events at venues throughout downtown Hartford. The celebration will culminate with the UCC's churchwide birthday party at the Hartford Civic Center.
Mills took the gold in a stunning, come-from-behind victory at the 1964 Olympics Games in Tokyo. He was born and raised on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota, one of the poorest communities in America. Orphaned at 12, he developed a love for long distance running that -- after a scholarship to the University of Kansas and a stint in the Marines -- helped him qualify for the Olympic team.
An Oglala Lakota (Sioux), Mills today is an accomplished businessman and the national spokesman for "Running Strong for American Indian Youth," which Mills formed in partnership with Christian Relief Services in 1985. CRS is a non-denominational organization that works to address urgent needs for food, water, medicines, and medical supplies around the world. Through his philosophy of self-empowerment and perseverance, Mills has helped raise more than $300 million in cash and in-kind donations for charities worldwide.
Mills lives his life through the teachings of his father. "I was constantly told and challenged to live my life as a warrior. As a warrior, you assume responsibility for yourself. The warrior humbles himself. And the warrior learns the power of giving."
