July 2015

Athletes, Coaches Ready to Take to World Stage

Follow World Games Athletes as They Compete in Los Angeles

Fifteen athletes and 8 coaches from Special Olympics Illinois are making final preparations before they compete with Special Olympics USA on the world stage later this month at the Special Olympics World Summer Games 2015 in Los Angeles.

On July 20, SOILL will host a send-off celebration for the Illinois delegation. Harry Teinowitz of "Good Day Chicago" will serve as emcee at the event at Pinstripes in Chicago. Athletes and coaches will be recognized by attendees including their families, sponsor, SOILL board members and some local celebrities.

Then the delegation will board a flight on July 21 for a pre-games training camp at the University of California-Riverside before they transfer to Los Angeles for the Opening Ceremony of the Games on Aug. 25.

You can follow the Special Olympics USA team on a variety of social media sources: website, Facebook, Twitter @specialolyUSA or Instagram @specialolympicsusa. Join in the conversation using the hashtag: @Cheer4USA.

Free Lunch at Texas Roadhouse on Friday, July 31

Texas Roadhouse restaurants will be teaming up with local law enforcement officers on Friday, July 31, for the 5^th Annual Texas Roadhouse Benefit Lunch for Special Olympics Illinois.Local officers will serve a "free" lunch of a limited menu from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

This exclusive lunch includes a pulled pork sandwich, corn, freshly baked bread with honey-cinnamon butter and a non-alcoholic beverage. Diners are simply asked to leave a donation for their meal with 100% of the proceeds benefiting the athletes of Special Olympics Illinois! This Texas Roadhouse Benefit Lunch is part of the Law Enforcement Torch Run, which is the single largest year-round fundraising vehicle benefiting Special Olympics Illinois.

Both dine in and carry out will be available at all 15 Texas Roadhouse locations in Illinois. Locations include: Bradley, Champaign, Countryside, Crystal Lake, Decatur, DeKalb, East Peoria, Edwardsville, Joliet, Naperville, Quincy, Rockford, Shiloh (O'Fallon), Springfield and Tinley Park. Be sure to stop by the location nearest you to enjoy a great meal for a great cause. View benefit flyer here. Help spread the word for a chance to win dinner for 2 at Texas Roadhouse. Diners should simply snap a photo from their local Benefit Lunch and tag us by using the hashtag #igotserved.

Thank you to our event sponsors: Texas Roadhouse, Coca-Cola and Shop `n Save.

Father, Son Team Contributes to Duck Derby Sales

Danny Zeller

Last year, the Darling Ducklings sold a record setting 11,000 duck adoptions for the Windy City Rubber Ducky Derby. This team, comprised of Special Olympics Illinois athletes from across the Chicagoland area, shows no signs of slowing down. Currently, the Darling Ducklings have sold nearly 7,500 ducks.

Contributing to the Darling Ducklings' success is Danny Zeller, who sold more than 300 ducks over a recent weekend with his father, Zeke, in front of their local Jewel-Osco. Throughout the months of June and July, it isn't uncommon to see Danny and Zeke in their community spreading the word about the Ducky Derby. Their duck sales to date total 700.

This year marks the 10th Annual Windy City Rubber Ducky Derby. Join Special Olympics Illinois as it celebrates a decade of ducks on Aug. 6, 2015, when 60,000 ducks will splash into the Chicago River. The fun starts at 10 a.m. in front of the Wrigley Building located at 400 N. Michigan Avenue in Chicago. Read More

SOILL Adds Second Truck Convoy at Sears Centre

Truckers from across the U.S. and Canada are set to participate in the World's Largest Truck Convoy for Special Olympics. This is an unforgettable celebration of the trucking industry and law enforcement joining forces for Special Olympics.

This year, Illinois is adding a second convoy in the northwestern suburbs. The new convoy will begin at 10 a.m. Aug. 29 and end at the Sears Centre Arena in Hoffman Estates. The original Illinois Truck Convoy, celebrating its 11^th year, will begin at 10 a.m. Oct. 10 at Hollywood Casino Ampitheatre in Tinley Park. Registration is from 8-9:30 a.m. at each location. All trucks and companies must pre-register if they would like to receive a goodie bag and official Truck Convoy T-shirt.

At each Truck Convoy, law enforcement will escort truckers along the route and back to the starting location for great music, food and fun! The parties are not just for truckers and law enforcement - Special Olympics Illinois would like to invite all athletes, families and fans to help celebrate too.

The Illinois Trucking Association, Illinois Truck Enforcement Association and Midwest Truckers Association are sponsors for both convoys. If you know of any companies or truckers that would like to get involved, please contact Katie Herriott at 309-533-3725. For more information, click here.

Jewel-Osco Making a Difference for Our Athletes

Tom Strack is featured in a Jewel-Osco poster

During July, Jewel-Osco is relaunching their at-register fundraising campaign through their "Making Change" donation program called "Change for Champions" in support of Special Olympics Illinois.

This program runs through July 31 at 184 Jewel-Osco locations throughout Illinois and customers will be encouraged to make a $1, $3 or $5 donation when they check out.

This year's "Change for Champions" campaign features Thomas Strack, a Special Olympics Illinois athlete and employee of Jewel-Osco. This year, Tom is celebrating 25 years with Jewel-Osco working as a courtesy clerk/bagger in the Palos Heights store. Read More

In addition to the Change for Champions campaign, Jewel is the Presenting Sponsor for the 10^th Annual Windy City Rubber Ducky Derby again this year. Over the last 9 years, the event has raised money and awareness for Special Olympics Illinois and become a favorite Chicago summertime event.

Plane Pull Registration Now Open

Registration is now open for the 7^th Annual Law Enforcement Torch Run Plane Pull at O'Hare International Airport. This extreme team sport will take place on Saturday, Sept. 19, as teams of 20 play tug-of-war with a UPS A300 aircraft weighing more than 90 tons!

The Plane Pull is a unique team-building experience for companies, fitness groups, high schools, colleges, fraternal groups, clubs and public safety departments! This exciting team competition tests your group strength while raising funds for the athletes of Special Olympics Illinois!

To learn more about this event or register a team, visit www.illinoisplanepull.com, email Sandy Nash or call 800-394-0562. You can also view our Team Captain Guide which covers everything you need to get your group up and running.

Coaster Challenge Offers Ride Time, Miles of Fun

Last year Special Olympics Illinois debuted a brand new fundraiser called the Coaster Challenge. The inaugural Coaster Challenge included more than 200 registered participants who raised $50,000.

Roller coaster enthusiasts Dan Conley and Mike Rackov

One of last year's brave participants, Dan Conley, Special Olympics Illinois Director of Technology, says there are two equally great components to this event: the exclusive ride time and the cause!

"As a roller-coaster enthusiast, having two hours of exclusive access to Raging Bull (one of my favorite rides) was like no other VIP experience," Conley recalls. "Just getting to walk through the empty barricades up to the platform and right on the train without any waiting - priceless!"

Registration is open for the 2015 Coaster Challenge at Six Flags Great America on Sunday, Sept. 27. Visit www.coasterchallenge.com to sign up or to support a registered participant. Read More