By . Reuters . Katy Perry, Jason Derulo and Stevie Wonder were all there - but the only guest who got to give President Obama a hug during his speech was restaurant owner Tim Harris. Mr Harris has Down syndrome, but he owns his own restaurant and is a Special Olympics star in year-round sports. And the focus was more on the star athletes than on the pop stars at a White House event on Thursday to commemorate the anniversary of the Special Olympics organization. 'Presidents need encouragement once in a while too...Thank you, Tim,' Obama said after Harris left his seat during the president's remarks to give him a hug, Mr Harris' trademark at his restaurant in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Scroll down for video . Barack Obama embraces restaurateur Tim Harris after the President mentioned him while speaking at an event honoring the Special Olympics at the White House on Thursday . Mr Harris, who runs a restaurant in New Mexico, left his seat to hug Obama during his remarks. 'Presidents need encouragement once in a while too...Thank you, Tim,' Obama said . Tim Harris, a Special Olympics competitor, got up from his seat to thank the President after Obama mentioned him personally during a dinner to honor the anniversary of the games . Katy Perry attends a celebrity-packed dinner hosted by the President and First Lady in Washington DC on Thursday to mark the anniversary of the Special Olympics in the East Room of the White House . Established in 1968 by Eunice Kennedy Shriver, the Special Olympics give people with intellectual disabilities opportunities to participate in sports ranging from basketball and bowling to figure skating and gymnastics. Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama will serve as honorary chairs of the Special Olympics World Games in Los Angeles next year. Some 7,000 athletes from 170 countries will take part. At Thursday's dinner, entertainment celebrities mingled with business magnates under chandeliers before digging into a menu of 'Maryland crab and corn ravioli' and 'caramelized plum galette'. Dignitaries from the sports world included former basketball player Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, former tennis player Andy Roddick and former figure skater Michelle Kwan. Obama praised the other set of athletes in the room, including Loretta Claiborne, the first Special Olympian to speak to the United Nations General Assembly and Dustin Plunkett, Special Olympics 'international global messenger' who wrote that the organization had 'saved his life'. Obama and First Lady Michelle arrive for the Special Olympics dinner on Thursday night at the White House. The couple will serve as honorary chairs of the Special Olympics World Games in Los Angeles next year . Katy Perry performs her song Roar at an event for the Special Olympics hosted by Obama in the State Dining Room at the White House on Thursday night . Stevie Wonder arrives for the celebration at the White House to honor the Special Olympics athletes . Maria Shriver, whose mother Eunice Kennedy Shriver, founded the Special Olympics in 1968, chats with TV anchor Gayle King at the glitzy White House bash . 'What all these people represent is what the Special Olympics is all about - overcoming obstacles with love and kindness, and generosity, and healthy competition,' he said. 'It's about pride and it's about teamwork and it's about friendship. And it's about treating everybody with dignity, and giving everybody a chance.' Tennis star Andy Roddick mingled with Maria Shriver and AOL co-founder Steve Case in the East Room. Seven athletes told their stories after the dinner before Katy Perry started her concert with her hit 'Roar.' 'We are here to put an end to the injustice and captivity and intolerance,' said Ricardo Thornton, recently appointed by Obama to the president's Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities. Thornton said he had spent time in two institutions but Special Olympics changed his life. Obama, with basketball legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to his left, enjoys dinner at the event to honor the Special Olympics which were established in 1968 by Eunice Kennedy Shriver . First Lady Michelle Obama applauds following a performance alongside CBS anchor Gayle King (left) and tennis player Andy Roddick (right) Special Olympian Brina Kei Maxino of the Philippines, who has Down Syndrome, speaks to the distinguished audience at the White House on Thursday . Former NBA star Dikembe Mutombo talks with Maria Shriver before singer Katy Perry performs at the event . And Claiborne said because of Special Olympics, she converses in four languages, holds two honorary doctorate degrees and has run 26 marathons. She remembered the name-calling and the advice given to her mother: 'Rita, institutionalize her. She's not going to have any value.' Born with intellectual disabilities, Claiborne felt alone in the world and resorted to using her fists. Yet her journey brought her to the Special Olympics, where, she said, 'something happened'. 'When I look back, I think about all the things that can make this change through a unified generation,' Claiborne said. 'The days of being left out are over.'
The President got a hug during his remarks at the White House from Special Olympics star Tim Harris .
Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama will serve as honorary chairs of the Special Olympics World Games in LA next year .
Some 7,000 athletes from 170 countries will take part in the event which was established in 1968 by Eunice Kennedy Shriver .
By . Reuters . Katy Perry, Jason Derulo and Stevie Wonder were all there - but the only guest who got to give President Obama a hug during his speech was restaurant owner Tim Harris. Mr Harris has Down syndrome, but he owns his own restaurant and is a Special Olympics star in year-round sports. And the focus was more on the star athletes than on the pop stars at a White House event on Thursday to commemorate the anniversary of the Special Olympics organization. 'Presidents need encouragement once in a while too...Thank you, Tim,' Obama said after Harris left his seat during the president's remarks to give him a hug, Mr Harris' trademark at his restaurant in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Scroll down for video . Barack Obama embraces restaurateur Tim Harris after the President mentioned him while speaking at an event honoring the Special Olympics at the White House on Thursday . Mr Harris, who runs a restaurant in New Mexico, left his seat to hug Obama during his remarks. 'Presidents need encouragement once in a while too...Thank you, Tim,' Obama said . Tim Harris, a Special Olympics competitor, got up from his seat to thank the President after Obama mentioned him personally during a dinner to honor the anniversary of the games . Katy Perry attends a celebrity-packed dinner hosted by the President and First Lady in Washington DC on Thursday to mark the anniversary of the Special Olympics in the East Room of the White House . Established in 1968 by Eunice Kennedy Shriver, the Special Olympics give people with intellectual disabilities opportunities to participate in sports ranging from basketball and bowling to figure skating and gymnastics. Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama will serve as honorary chairs of the Special Olympics World Games in Los Angeles next year. Some 7,000 athletes from 170 countries will take part. At Thursday's dinner, entertainment celebrities mingled with business magnates under chandeliers before digging into a menu of 'Maryland crab and corn ravioli' and 'caramelized plum galette'. Dignitaries from the sports world included former basketball player Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, former tennis player Andy Roddick and former figure skater Michelle Kwan. Obama praised the other set of athletes in the room, including Loretta Claiborne, the first Special Olympian to speak to the United Nations General Assembly and Dustin Plunkett, Special Olympics 'international global messenger' who wrote that the organization had 'saved his life'. Obama and First Lady Michelle arrive for the Special Olympics dinner on Thursday night at the White House. The couple will serve as honorary chairs of the Special Olympics World Games in Los Angeles next year . Katy Perry performs her song Roar at an event for the Special Olympics hosted by Obama in the State Dining Room at the White House on Thursday night . Stevie Wonder arrives for the celebration at the White House to honor the Special Olympics athletes . Maria Shriver, whose mother Eunice Kennedy Shriver, founded the Special Olympics in 1968, chats with TV anchor Gayle King at the glitzy White House bash . 'What all these people represent is what the Special Olympics is all about - overcoming obstacles with love and kindness, and generosity, and healthy competition,' he said. 'It's about pride and it's about teamwork and it's about friendship. And it's about treating everybody with dignity, and giving everybody a chance.' Tennis star Andy Roddick mingled with Maria Shriver and AOL co-founder Steve Case in the East Room. Seven athletes told their stories after the dinner before Katy Perry started her concert with her hit 'Roar.' 'We are here to put an end to the injustice and captivity and intolerance,' said Ricardo Thornton, recently appointed by Obama to the president's Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities. Thornton said he had spent time in two institutions but Special Olympics changed his life. Obama, with basketball legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to his left, enjoys dinner at the event to honor the Special Olympics which were established in 1968 by Eunice Kennedy Shriver . First Lady Michelle Obama applauds following a performance alongside CBS anchor Gayle King (left) and tennis player Andy Roddick (right) Special Olympian Brina Kei Maxino of the Philippines, who has Down Syndrome, speaks to the distinguished audience at the White House on Thursday . Former NBA star Dikembe Mutombo talks with Maria Shriver before singer Katy Perry performs at the event . And Claiborne said because of Special Olympics, she converses in four languages, holds two honorary doctorate degrees and has run 26 marathons. She remembered the name-calling and the advice given to her mother: 'Rita, institutionalize her. She's not going to have any value.' Born with intellectual disabilities, Claiborne felt alone in the world and resorted to using her fists. Yet her journey brought her to the Special Olympics, where, she said, 'something happened'. 'When I look back, I think about all the things that can make this change through a unified generation,' Claiborne said. 'The days of being left out are over.'
got to give President Obama a hug during his and First Lady Michelle Obama will serve as honorary chairs of the Special Olympics World Games in Los Angeles next year. Some 7,000 athletes from 170 countries will take part. At Olympics World Games in Los Angeles next year . the White House to honor the Special Olympics dinner at the event to honor the Special Olympics which were established in 1968 by Eunice Kennedy