Fountain Valley resident Ed Arnold is best known for his forty-six years as a television news and sports anchor for KABC, KTLA, and KOCE. He also served as the volunteer on-air announcer for the “Hour of Power” religious program since it began in 1970. He has been involved with Special Olympics since Eunice Kennedy Shriver took the games from her backyard to the national then international stage in 1968. Arnold was a founding board member of the Western Special Olympics and still plays an active role in Special Olympics Southern California events. He was the state chairman of Health and Safety for the California Jaycees in 1968 when the organization was asked to get involved and has been a volunteer for all 54 years. Arnold is the only original founding California board member still involved. Arnold served on SOSC’s Board of Directors for many years and for over 40 years was the games’ announcer and master of ceremonies of the Opening Ceremony at the Southern California Summer Games, beginning when the championship was titled the Western Special Olympics Games. In recent years, he has been the emcee of the “Rafer Johnson Breakfast with Champions” at SOSC’s Summer Games in Long Beach. Special Olympics honored Ed with the inaugural “Rafer Johnson Humanitarian Award” in 2010 at the event.

“This is a huge honor to be recognized for an organization that I believe has changed not only the lives of our athletes but also the lives and attitudes of their families and people around the world,” said Arnold. “None of what I’ve done for Special Olympics would have happened without the support of my wife Dixie, who I greatly appreciate,” -Ed Arnold.