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| August 2009 |
Special Olympics Idaho News |
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| Greetings! |
A lasting Legacy of Education
The poet William Yeats once wrote, "Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire." Yeats believed that learning fosters further learning; building its own momentum and continuing to grow exponentially broader. Special Olympics Idaho believes in education as one of the best means for improving the quality of life for people with and without intellectual disabilities in Idaho.
After the release of the K-12 school curriculum "In a World of Difference, Make a Difference" in conjunction with the 2009 World Winter Games, teachers around the world began using it. Like a wildfire, this curriculum, released in Idaho, spread to schools as far away as South Africa. Since February, the legacy of the 2009 World Winter Games has continually grown in momentum and breadth: The Project Unify initiative has moved into the schools to educate, motivate, and activate Idaho youth. Partners ClubsŪ are springing up all over Idaho. The Erase the R-word Campaign has taken root across the state. People are learning more and more about intellectual disabilities and, with new knowledge, are bringing their communities closer together.
Thank you for helping to light the fire of learning by supporting Special Olympics Idaho.
Sincerely,
Laurie Lafollette
CEO |
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| Selections for National Games are Official! |
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The official draw for athletes to attend National Games was held on Friday, August 24, 2009 where athlete Jack Hanson, in front of a small but excited crowd, drew the names of this year's Idaho delegation!
Your Idaho team will be:
Golf
Coach Craig Kirsebom- Coeur d'Alene
Adina Watkins- Coeur d'Alene
Bill Lutz- Boise Community
Trevor Kirsebom- Coeur d'Alene
Powerlifting
Coach Terry Kinkead- Burley Bobcats
Zackery Mayer- Burley Bobcats
Alternate-- EJ Palacios- Caldwell Wildcats
Aquatics
Coach Mike Burnet- Ghostbusters
Heidi Langston- Meridian TV
Benjamen Brazier- Boise Community
Paul Hemker- Boise Community
Athletics
Coaches Eric and Kristi Kraft- Payette
Marie Gillian- Coeur d'Alene
Kara Burnet- Ghostbusters
Sara Mavencamp- Ghostbusters
Colleen Sullivan- Coeur d'Alene
Dennis Ollinger- Ghostbusters
Jason Nielson- Ghostbusters
Matthew Hardin- Lewis Clark
Bowling
Coach Carey Walton- Blackfoot Bandits
Alison Carder- Coeur d'Alene
Randy Carpenter- Boise Community
Congratulations to all the athletes and coaches that worked so hard to get to the National games! |
| Breakfast with Champions- Coeur d'Alene |
The 2009 Breakfast with Champions- Coeur d'Alene is coming to the Coeur d'Alene  Resort on September 24, 2009 at 7:30am-- registration to begin at 7am. Join Hedda Sharapan, Associate Producer of Mr. Rogers Neighborhood, and athlete speaker Jacob Watkins for an inspiring morning with Special Olympics Idaho.
Those who arrive before 7am will have the opportunity to view an excellent documentary about Idaho athletes at the 2009 Special Olympics World Winter Games. The video was produced by Idaho Public Television's Outdoor Idaho. |
| Unified Partners Needed for All-Unified Fall Competition |
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Being a Unified Partner means you compete alongside Special Olympics athletes as part of their team. You can offer social inclusion to a team of athletes by joining them on the field for practice and competition.
The all-Unified Fall competition will be in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho on the weekend of October 16, 2009. Unified Partners are needed in Golf, Volleyball, and Soccer. There are teams all over Idaho who would love to have you. Please contact Corby Goade, VP Sports, to find a Unified team near you: cg@idso.org or (208) 323-0482 x 22. |
| Games Management Teams for Winter Sports |
As fall approaches, it is time to assemble the next, dedicated sports management teams for the winter sports season. Training for winter sports begins in an unbelievable four months! We are looking for people who have experience or contacts in any of the following sports: Floor Hockey Snowboarding Downhill Skiing Snowshoeing Cross Country Skiing Sports management teams meet one-two times per month during the competition season. If you feel you could contribute to providing the athletes with a meaningful experience, please contact Corby Goade, VP Sports at cg@idso.org or (208) 323-0482 x 22. |
| 2009 Golf Sprint from First American Title and GroupOne |
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The 15th annual Golf Sprint fundraiser sponsored by First American Title and GroupOne Realty will be held on Monday, August 31, 2009. The event has always been tremendously successful-- and a lot fun! The 2009 Golf Sprint is a best-ball tournament organized by Sean O'Gara, Dennis McCracken, and Blake Haggett. This is Sean's 15th year supporting Special Olympics Idaho!
If you own a business and would like some great exposure, you can sponsor a hole to have a banner hanging at the event. For more information about the 2009 Golf Sprint, contact Christine Jarski at christine@idso.org or (208) 724-2106. |
| Project Unify Bridge Conference |
In mid-August, Special Olympics Idaho staff Shanna Endow and Christine Jarski traveled  with a youth delegates Brandon Staley and Unified Partner Sarah Donald to Lincoln, Nebraska to participate in the Project Unify Bridge Conference. The conference was entirely youth-led and meant to "bridge the generation gap" in discussing Project Unify. Project Unify is a Special Olympics International initiative that seeks to activate young people to develop school communities where all young people are agents of change - fostering respect, dignity and advocacy for people with intellectual disabilities by utilizing the programs and initiatives of Special Olympics.
The atmosphere at the Bridge meeting was electric, as youth and Special Olympics staff from throughout the United States brainstormed and developed plans for Project Unify implementation in high schools. Both members of Idaho's youth delegation attend Capital High School in Boise and will be working with the Partners ClubŪ at their school to implement their plan in 2009/2010.
Shanna Endow, VP Outreach and Education, will be working with schools throughout Idaho to develop individual youth engagement activities. Also, watch for SOID's newly developed "Be a fan™ Youth Plan" that will include a menu of activities that youth can choose from to support Special Olympics in their schools. The "Youth Plan" will be available on SOID's website in fall 2009. If you are interested in getting your school involved, contact Shanna Endow at Sendow@idso.org or (208) 724-1717. |
| 2009 Leadership Conference |
Special Olympics Idaho celebrated a weekend of fun, learning, and collaboration during the 2009 Annual Leadership Conference at the Owyhee Plaza in Boise July 31st-August 2nd! Local Program Coordinators and volunteers came from all over the state to gain the tools, information, and contacts necessary for a successful program!
The Annual Leadership Conference marks the beginning of a new chapter for Special Olympics Idaho as we embark on the legacy of the 2009 Special Olympics World Winter Games. The conference kicked off Friday evening with a BBQ at Veteran's Park sponsored by the Women of the Moose. On Saturday, Robyn Markey, Special Olympics International's Director of Organizational Development for North America, traveled back to Boise for a second seminar on the "The Powers of Partnership". Robyn expanded on topics such as developing understanding of the importance of partnerships with athletes, different types of partnerships, successful partner recruitment tips, and development of efficient communication plans.
LPC Terry Kinkead and Area Directors Jen Gardner and Heather Erikson, presented information on Unified Sports that included recruiting Unified Partners, matching athletes and partners, and the first Unified Tournament in CDA on October 16th-18th . There was an informative presentation on Social Networking tools like Facebook and Twitter and how they can be used as communication tools for teams.
The volunteers were then treated to a Celebration Dinner at the African Exhibit in Zoo Boise, sponsored by Mayor David Bieter and the City of Boise. Hewlett Packard laptops were presented to JoAnn Buyers from the Rigby Wranglers and Terry Elordi from the Caldwell Wildcats while the rest of the volunteers dined among giraffes and lions. The conferences concluded on Sunday morning with a CPR/First Aid Certification Class taught by Susan Beier-Todd from LIFE Inc.
Volunteers are the building blocks of our program. You dedicate your time and energy for the Special Olympics Idaho. Thank you for all that you do!
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Special Olympics Idaho provides year-round sports training and competition to people with intellectual disabilities in Idaho. Supplemental initiatives include education and community outreach, health screenings and referrals, and family support. Thank you for being a fan of Special Olympics Idaho. You are an essential part of creating lasting change in the lives of those with intellectual disability in Idaho.
Thank you,
Staff
SOID |
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