Greetings!
The 2009 Special Olympics World Winter Games are just around the corner. There are so many things going on and ways to participate that we decided to put out a special edition of our newsletter dedicated to the games.
The members of the Games Organizing Comittee have been working very hard to make a world-class competition here in Boise. Like our state-level games, they've organized much more than just a sporting event though, on a massive scale and with many more aspects. The games will host the Healthy Athletes initiative where athletes can receive health screenings and education. There will be forums to discuss issues concerning people with intellectual disabilities. Public demonstrations of the Young Athletes and Motor Activities Training programs will be held. The Games Organizing Comittee also has a carnival and dance planned for the athletes. Thousands of people have volunteered their time.
Putting on an event of this magnitude requires an emmense amount of effort from countless people in the community. The people of Idaho have put their efforts into this endevour and, because of this, we know it will be a great success! After everything that has been done, it is just about time to enjoy what will certainly be a landmark event in Idaho history.
From the staff of Special Olympics Idaho, thank you, eveyone, for your generous support! |
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Send Idaho Athletes to World Winter Games; Support the Penguin Plunge and Auction
Come to the Meridian Wal-Mart on Saturday, January 17, 2009 to help send Idaho athletes to the 2009 World Winter Games! There will be a live auction at 10am where you can bid on a wide range of home furnishings with all proceeds benefiting Special Olympics Idaho. Hubble Homes generously donated hundreds of auction items including everything one would need to fill several houses; lamps, beds, couches, chairs, and art... everything!
Later, at noon, plungers from more than 500 miles around the Treasure Valley will jump into a pool filled with over 500 lbs of ice at the annual Penguin Plunge fundraiser! Funds raised at this year's Penguin Plunge will help send Idaho athletes to the 2009 World Winter Games. Come watch the spectacle and bravery of the great folks who support Special Olympics Idaho or, take the plunge yourself! You can join the public plunge with $100 in pledges. Registration begins at 11am.
For more information about the Penguin Plunge or Auction, please visit our website at www.idso.org. |
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Spectators Needed!
The 2009 Special Olympics World Winter Games are on our door step; which events are you going to watch?
The Special Olympics World Winter Games are held every four years. This time, 3,000 delegates from more than 100 countries will converge on the State of Idaho to compete in seven different winter sports including: speed and figure skating, alpine and nordic skiing, snowshoeing, and flor hockey.
Competitions will be held in Boise, Sun Valley, and McCall. See below to find an event near you then, click the link to the sports schedule so you'll know what time to be there. Free spectator seating will be available for each sport though, space will be extremely limited for Floor Hockey and Speed Skating.
Boise EventsFigure Skating Qwest Arena
Floor Hockey Expo Idaho
Robyn Foiles, Charlie Hill, and the Caldwell Wildcats: Zachary Braun, Vanessa Buck, Eric Reed, Cecelia Watson, Matthew Brown, Cindy Sears, Jolyn Elordi, Aeriann Kiefer, Chelsie Reed, Grant Kawaguchi, Kyle Kiefer, Megan Sauer, Tyler GunterSpeed Skating Idaho Ice World Alpine Skiing Bogus Basin Mountain Recreation Area
Sun Valley Events
Snowboarding Dollar Mountain, Sun Valley
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The Flame of Hope, Traveling through a town near you!
The Special Olympics World Games torch, known as the Flame of Hope, was lit on November 12,2008 in Athens, Greece. The flame was lit by the Athenian sun using a parabolic mirror, just like the first official Olympics flame in 1896. The Flame of Hope has since been carried around the world by law enforcement officers and Special Olympics athletes on its way to Boise, Idaho for the 2009 Special Olympics World Winter Games. On January 29, 2009 the Flame of Hope will begin the Final Leg Torch Run in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. From there, the Final Leg team will run the flame through 70 stops throughout the state before reaching Boise.
The Final Leg team is composed of 118 law enforcement officers, Special Olympic athletes, and Special Olympic support team personnel from around the world. The team will consist of officers from 46 of 50 states, and 18 other countries. Additionally, 10 Special Olympics athletes from Idaho, Oregon, Hawaii, California, Australia, Ireland, Oklahoma, New Mexico, and Michigan will join the officers.
Cheer on the Final Leg team as they pass through your town!
January 29 Coeur d'Alene, Sandpoint, Bonners Ferry, Eastport, Wallace, Osburn, Kellogg, Pinehurst
January 30
Rathdrum, Post Falls, Lewiston, Moscow
February 1
Burley, Rupert
February 2Preston, Malad, McCammon, Pocatello, Chubbuck, Inkom, Soda Springs, Montpeiler, St. Anthony, Rexburg, Rigby, Idaho Falls, Shelley, Blackfoot
February 3
American Falls, Kimberly, Jerome, Wendell, Gooding, Twin Falls
February 4
Sun Valley, Bellevue, Hailey, Glenns Ferry, Mountain Home, Boise
February 5Parma, Caldwell, Middleton, Star, Emmett, Weiser, Payette, Fruitland, Ontario, McCall, Cascade, Horseshoe Bend
February 6Kuna, Eagle, Meridian, Nampa, Boise
February 7Opening Ceremonies at 2pm
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SOID to Hold YAP and MATP Demonstrations at World Winter Games
Young Athletes™ Program (YAP) demonstrations will take place at several times during the World Winter Games; February 9-11, 2009. The Motor Activities Training Program (MATP) will be presented on February 12, 2009. All Demonstrations will be held at the Boise Center on the Grove in Boise. These events will be free to attend and open to the general public.
Young Athletes™ (YAP) is an innovative sports play program for children with intellectual disabilities designed to introduce them to the world of sports prior to Special Olympics eligibility at age 8. The Young Athletes program strengthens physical development and self-esteem for children ages 2 through 7 by building skills for future sports participation and socialization. Family members and caregivers are also encouraged to become involved as the child learns success through physical activity.
Motor Activities Training (MATP) is designed for persons with severe limitations who do not yet possess the physical and/or behavioral skills necessary to participate in official Special Olympics sports. Some athletes who participate in MATP will progress to lower ability events in sports such as gymnastics or bowling, but even for those who cannot, MATP participation improves coordination and social skills.
Boise Center on the Grove
YAP
9 February 2009 from 10:00 - 11:00
10 February 2009 from 10:00 - 11:00
11 February 2009 from 09:30 - 10:30
MATP
12 February 2009 from 07:00 - 2:00
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Global Youth Summit to be Held at Boise State University
In conjunction with athletic events, the 2009 World Winter Games will host a Global Youth Summit to rally young people with and without intellectual disabilities, ages 12-20, from around the world to make a difference in their schools and communities. The Global Youth Summit will be held at the Boise State University campus and feature conference sessions, leadership training programs, and interactive sports experiences. It will combine exciting ways of addressing key issues through entertainment by celebrities and Special Olympics athletes. The rally will be a fast-paced, multi-media event featuring content especially designed to connect with youth. Participants will also act as journalists, publishing their stories and photos daily on the Special Olympics and 2009 Special Olympics World Winter Games Web sites and social network sites.
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Healthy Athletes Initiative Will Provide Health Services at World Winter Games
The Healthy Athlete Program, established in 1996, is designed to improve athletes' health and fitness in order to enhance their ability to train and compete in Special Olympics. The Healthy Athletes Initiative is made up of seven disciplines including: Fit Feet, FUNfitness, Healthy Hearing, Health Promotion, Opening Eyes®, MedFest and Special Smiles®. At Healthy Athletes events, which are typically held during Special Olympics competitions, Special Olympics athletes receive a variety of health screenings and services. The healthy, fun environment also provides an opportunity for local volunteer health care professionals and students to learn about the abilities and health needs of individuals with intellectual disabilities and how to provide for them.
The Healthy Athletes initiative uses volunteer health professionals from Idaho and around the world to provide these much-needed health services. People with intellectual disabilities are at a much higher risk for health problems than the general population and, are often times un- or under-insured. |
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New Special Olympics-Oriented Lions Club in Boise
Are you living in the Boise area and looking for a meaningful new way to support Special Olympics Idaho and help people with intellectual disabilities in Idaho? Join Lions Club International's new Boise-based, Special Olympics-Oriented Club starting during the World Winter Games on February 8, 2009.
Lions Clubs International is starting a new chapter in Boise that is specific to helping Special Olympics Idaho. It will be the first club of its kind in the United States. The new chapter will be active in raising funds, helping with athlete training and competition, and organizing new ways to help people with intellectual disabilities in Idaho.
Lions Clubs International's motto is, "We Serve." They are the world's largest service club organization with 1.3 million members in 45,000 clubs in 202 countries. The Lions participate in a variety of projects important to their communities from cleaning up parks to providing supplies to victims of natural disasters. Lions Club International is most known for efforts to end preventable blindness around the world.
Lions Clubs have been working with Special Olympics Idaho by providing free eye exams and glasses (if needed) to SOID athletes through the Special Olympics initiative, Healthy Athletes- Opening Eyes. The new Lions Club will continue providing this type of program, while also having the freedom to create new events.
The first organizational meeting will be held:
Sunday, February 8, 2009 at 6pm
Smokey Mountain Pizza and Pasta
415 E Park Center Blvd.
Boise
Lions Club International President Al Brandel will be in Boise to induct the new club. Pizza, salad and beverages will be provided.
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About Us
Special Olympics Idaho is a chartered chapter of Special Olympics International. We provide year-round sports training and competition to individuals with intellectual disabilities in the state of Idaho. We also promote health, diversity, and inclusion through several initiatives. Special Olympics Idaho is sending 23 athletes to compete in the 2009 World Winter Games. To learn more about Special Olympics Idaho and what we do, please visit our website at www.idso.org
Special Olympics Idaho
(208) 323-0482
405 S 8TH Suite 201
Boise, Idaho 83702
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| Aaron Olson and Christine Jarksi, Editors |
Dallas Leatham, Technical Editor | |
Thank You, Everyone!
To all the amazing people who have dedicated their time and resources to sending Idaho athletes to the 2009 World Winter Games, thank you!
There have been so many people and organizations who have contributed to this massive undertaking and several who have really stood out:
The law enforcement officers of LETR
The Live Foundation
The Whittenberger Foundation
PacificSource Health Plans
Idaho Health Underwriters Association
Coca-Cola
United Hauling
Soroptomist International
Thank you for supporting Special Olympics Idaho and sending Idaho athletes to the 2009 World Winter Games! |
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Focus Group for New Electronic Personal Health Log to be at World Games
Special Olympics is creating an Electronic Personal Health Log for athletes. This is truly a breakthrough in technology that will provide a new level of independence and control over health information. This Log will allow athletes' health data to be stored in one place, empowering athletes to view and manage their own health data. The Log can be taken to different doctors, and it will be easier for athletes, guardians, and doctors to track athletes' health information over time.
This Electronic Personal Health Log is still in the developmental stages, and Special Olympics is looking for input from athletes and family members about what you would gain from its development. What information should be included in this Log? How could this Log most help you? What would be the most valuable aspect of this Electronic Personal Health Log? How would you use it to manage your health?
Please join us Wednesday, February 11th at 7:30pm in the Boise State University Student Union Building to share your thoughts with us! Participating in this focus group will give you a unique opportunity to provide important input on this new technology and also walk away with a t-shirt from the 2009 World Games!
Please contact Amy Harris if you are interested in participating. We look forward to hearing from you.
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Athlete Volunteer Opportunities
The 2009 World Winter Games will be coming to Idaho next month and with it a number of exciting volunteer opportunities available just for our Idaho athletes!
Each time slot and position needs 2 athletes and 1 mentor and will be at the Boise Center on the Grove.
SO Town Greeters 4p-10p
Merc. Table 4p-10p
February 13
SO Town Greeter 9a-1p
SO Town Greeter 1p-5p
Merc. Table 9a-1p
Merc. Table 1p-5p
Other opportunities will include Pillow Bearers for Awards which will require 2-3 athletes per venue and Thank You teams of 2-3 athletes. Dates, times and locations are TBA. If you are interested in any of these volunteer positions, please contact Shanna at sendow@idso.org or 208-323-0482 x14 and list your area of interest.
Thank you for your help!
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