Palin speaks at fundraiser in St. James

Newsday
BY CHAU LAM
10:33 PM EDT, June 7, 2009

Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin told a crowd of more than a thousand in St. James Sunday night that she will continue to advocate for children and adults who have developmental disabilities.

Reiterating comments from her speech at the Republican National Convention last September, in which Palin declared herself an advocate for developmentally disabled children, she stressed that her commitment to the cause has not changed just because the Republicans failed to capture the White House.

"And, just because our ticket placed second, second out of two, we still have an advocate for the cause," Palin joked, which drew loud applause.

Palin's 1-year-old son, Trig, was born with Down syndrome.

"What God has shown us, through Trig, is that, yes, every single person has a purpose no matter their developmental abilities," she said.

Palin, 45, arrived in St. James after attending a Yankees game with former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani. She was here to help raise money for Independent Group Home Living, a nonprofit organization providing programs, services and support for people with developmental disabilities. She was the group's 2009 honoree.

Before her speech, she met briefly with U.S. Rep. Peter King (R-Seaford), then posed for photos.

Palin, who has not ventured out of Alaska much since the end of her failed vice presidential bid, is quietly returning to the national stage. Her weeklong visit to the East Coast, started with low-key appearances in upstate New York and then Long Island.

Accompanying Palin on the trip was her husband, Todd, and the couple's 14-year-old daughter, Willow, as well as Palin's sister, Heather Bruce, and Bruce's son Karcher, also 14.

King said he urged Palin to remain active in the Republican Party, which he said needs people like her.

"She has a lot of star power and she has a lot of potential," King said after their meeting. However, King acknowledged that Palin has "some gaps to fill," including studying up on foreign affairs and learning how to handle tough questions from the national media.

"She has an unusual ability to connect with the crowd," he said.

In her speech, Palin praised Independent Group Home Living for being pioneers.

"You offer dignity and you offer independence instead of, basically, candidly, instead of warehousing people," she said.

Palin added that Republicans and Democrats need to come together to help people with developmental disabilities.

"Maybe this can be the unifying issue in our country . . .," she said. "People, put partisan differences aside . . . and unify around an issue like this, where we can respect every human life and we can find measures to take to better the lives of those born with special needs, and let's put the special back into special needs."Walter W. Stockton, the group's chief executive, said Palin's popularity and high-profile status makes her an effective spokeswoman for the group and that's why Palin was chosen as this year's honoree.

"We need people out there to talk for us," Stockton said. "She represents hope to all those families who also have the burden of taking care of their special needs children."

Stockton said the group hopes to raise $750,000 from last night's gala dinner. Each of the 1,000 guests paid $125 to attend the dinner.