Special Olympics Ireland is raising funds to help double the number of people with learning disabilities taking part in sports programmes across the country.
There are an estimated 34,000 people with a learning disability in Ireland, but just 8,000 are involved with the Special Olympics movement.
The chairman of Special Olympics Ireland, Fergus Finlay, said every person with a learning disability should have an opportunity to enjoy and benefit from participating in sports activities.
"The games were a platform to show what people with a learning disability can achieve. The real challenge now is to ensure that every person with a learning disability has an opportunity to enjoy and benefit from participating in sports activities," he said.
"The Irish public showed they were up to the challenge back in 2003. We appeal to them once more to help us in this new, exciting and, in some ways, even bigger challenge."
As well as seeking to increase the level of participation among athletes, the campaign aims to involve more volunteers, supporters and sponsors.
The Special Olympics aims to have 16,000 athletes taking part in sporting programmes by the time the next summer games are held, in China in 2007.
The awareness-raising campaign, entitled "get up, get out, go!", is supported by the Department of Health and the Irish Sports Council. According to research by the ESRI and the Irish Sports Council, one in five adults do not take any physical exercise.
Minister of State at the Department of Health Seán Power said: "Lack of interest, willingness or time are the usual reasons people give for not taking exercise. Here is a great reason to get started.
"A little exercise to raise some money could make a huge difference to a person with a learning disability getting involved with the Special Olympics programme."
A number of fund-raising initiatives, including golf competitions and sports days, have already been organised. Eircom is providing IT and telephone services for the campaign.
Mary Davis, director of Special Olympics Ireland, said the summer games in 2003 had left a lasting legacy of awareness regarding people with learning disabilities. The number of volunteers increased from 1,000 to 8,000 following the event.
