Third Time is a Charm for Area 15 Special Olympics
After twice being delayed by bad weather, Area 15 Special Olympics was finally able to hold their annual fall competition, and what a day it was.
By Joanne Catron
What a great day! After two attempts, and despite the chilly weather, Area 15 came together for a wonderful soccer skills and bocce event. I guess the third time was a charm, although it could have been “three strikes and you’re out!”
We introduced Bocce as a new sport for Area 15, and had nine total athletes from Halifax (three adult and six elementary level). Lonnie New, will be attending the State Fall Champs for Bocce, while Katie Wallace will be an alternate.
For soccer skills, there were 65 athletes in attendance. Seven were Young Athletes. Five of which competed for the first time. The rest of the 58 athletes were divided between elementary, middle, high school and adult athletes from Charlotte County, and Halifax/South Boston. Charlotte County is sending seven soccer athletes to the Fall Championships, while Halifax/South Boston is sending two.
Volunteers are an important part of any program. Charlotte County was lucky to have three volunteers from the Sheriff’s Department, five from the community and approximately 60 from the high school and middle school combined.
A special thanks to all the special education staff and PE staff who helped prepare their athletes for today, all administrators for making it possible, the maintenance department, the Randolph Henry High School band, and ARAMARK for lunch.
Sincerely,
Joanne Catron
Charlotte County Coordinator
What Special Means
From the Big Sister of a Special Needs Child
By Lauren Compton
WSET reporter and Special Olympics volunteer, Lauren Compton, wrote this blog about her little sister. She included it in this week’s Lynchburg Special Olympics newsletter, and it was so moving that we just had to share it with all of you.
Since the story aired last week on WSET about Liberty University's 'Pledge to Spread the Word to End the Word', I've gotten numerous inquiries about my little sister Sara. And, as the big sister of a child with Down Syndrome, the word special has a deeper meaning for me.
And, as I'm learning through my experiences with Special Olympics, special doesn't even come close to describing the amazing feats of Special Olympians.
I wanted to share with you a blog I wrote for WSET a few months ago about what special means to me. I'm sure it'll resonate with many of you.
My Definition of Special
In my mind she was no different from the rest of us, except she had the ability to see the world through much kinder eyes. She wouldn't see it for its possible dangers. She would run up to complete strangers and wrap her arms around them, smiling. It was her way of showing someone she liked them. She's wasn't special or handicapped, to me she was just my little sister. Her small eyes and facial features were beautiful. Her facial features, and mannerisms where things made my sister special and unique. To my family and I she was our little ray of sunshine, the person in our lives who taught us to love with compassion.
Her smile is always so pure, and full of happiness. She has this innocence about her, an innocence that will never allow her to fully understand the depth of the world in the way I would grow to see it. She will never understand that the world would treat her differently because of her speech or the way she looked. She wouldn't understand the reason people stared at her or the mean things they were saying about her. But, I knew. And I could feel their eyes staring at our family and her. I could hear the whispers from behind us, and when I was younger it angered me…
Day with the Flames =
a Day to Remember
By Josh Walker
From volleyball and tailgating to football and fireworks, we couldn’t have planned a better Saturday for the athletes in the Piedmont Region. Thank you to our friends at Liberty University for giving our athletes such an amazing day. In addition to the day’s activities, students at Liberty also collected over 100 r-word pledges at the Flames women’s volleyball game. Now that is what I call a great day!
To see more pictures from the Day with the Flames click HERE.
