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SONM's Bi-Weekly Newsletter
| April 10, 2013
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Athlete Profile
 Rest in Peace4/20/1999-3/27/2013Name: Dylan Padilla Team: Special Olympics AGS
Sports: Gymnastics
Highlights: Dylan competed in Artistic Gymnastics at the 2012 State Summer Games.
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Thoughts From Randy
Blessed?
 Yesterday I had the privilege of attending the City of Albuquerque "Mayor's Day of Volunteer Recognition Ceremony." Mayors from over 830 cities across our nation thanked and recognized volunteers nominated by co-workers, teachers, organizations, etc. for their excellence in volunteer service. Darren Wilkins, a Special Olympics New Mexico Board member, committee member, Games volunteer, and Unified Partner received one of the highest Individual Distinguished Volunteer Awards. (Way to go, Darren.)
There were about 500 people in the room, and I loved it that the youngest of those nominated were three girl scouts - the oldest a 104 year old woman. It didn't take long to realize that all of these seemingly ordinary folks weren't there simply because they performed one random act of kindness or polite gesture. They were there because of the depth of their selflessness.
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Register today for the 2013 Golf Classic! New!
The 2013 Golf Classic presented by Century Link is just around the corner, and the registration page is now live! Join fellow golf enthusiasts and representatives from UNM Athletics as they support Special Olympics New Mexico's athletes. The Four-Man Scramble tournament will take place on July 15th at Paa-ko Ridge Golf Club with a shotgun start at 9:00 am. Team awards and prizes are available, along with a goody bag and admission to the SONM Dinner & Auction. It is a special event not to be missed. To register for the Golf Classic, click HERE. If you are not a golfer, you can still be a part of the fun by attending the SONM Dinner &  Auction presented by The Payroll Company. The fundraising event will be held on July 20th at Hotel Albuquerque from 5:00pm-9:00pm. If you are interested in attending the Dinner & Auction or would like to learn about sponsorship opportunities, please contact Christine Sandoval at christinesandoval@sonm.org. For more information about the 2013 Golf Classic and Auction & Dinner, click HERE for our event brochure.
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2014 USA National Games New!
Special Olympics North America will be hosting its third USA National Games in Princeton, New Jersey from June 14-21, 2014. You know that that means...we are in a qualifying year! SONM has been awarded 16 athlete spots and four coaching spots split between Athletics, Bocce, Aquatics, and Bowling.  The qualifying year for nomination submission is from the 2012 Four Corners Invitational to the 2013 Four Corners Invitational. Any athlete who receives a Gold, Silver, or Bronze Medal in the sport that they are being nominated for during the qualifying year is eligible and athletes can nominate themselves. Coaches who are interested in nomination must have coached the sport they are applying for during the qualifying year, must be certified in that sport, and have a current background check on file. Athletes and coaches who are selected will be announced on September 2, 2013! For more information about the 2014 USA National Games and the qualifying year, click HERE.
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Onate High School strives to create Unified school through Project Unify Softball event New!
Advocates in Action, a student-driven advocacy club at Onate High School (OHS)is working to engage OHS faculty and students in the Project UNIFY initiative, fostering an environment of acceptance, respect, and human dignity. The club's efforts h ave culminated in a Unified Softball competitive sporting event and student-directed disability awareness.
"It has been incredible to see the growth and development of both the athletes and the partners throughout the past couple of months," said Thea Kavanaugh, Project UNIFY liason. "All of the Project UNIFY participants are excited to get out on the field and show Onate HS what can be accomplished when we are unified!"  | | Onate High School |
On March 6th, OHS organized a Spread the Word to End the Word Pledge Day with a variety of tables set up throughout the school and an awareness presentation to encourage people to stop the use of the derogatory use of the R-word. They also had an Autism Awareness Day on April 2nd with the goal of educating students about autism.
The Unified Softball Event will take place as an all day assembly on April 19th. The event will consist of two teams made up students with and without intellectual disabilities: Team RESPECT and Team AUTISM AWARENESS The teams participating have been participating in general education classes this semester to develop their softball skills for the competition. There will be a Slow Pitch Competition and an Individual Skills Competition. School clubs and groups will also be encouraged to participate in this event, inspiring involvement from the whole school.
"My favorite part of this project is seeing all of [the athletes'] faces light up when they get a skill down for the first time," said Rebecca Whittlock, Project Unify Student liaison and partner. "It's an amazing feeling and incredible to see the progress they continue to make."
Students and faculty are greatly
anticipating this event and Advocates in Action hope to continue supporting the Project UNIFY initiative at Onate High School.
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LETR News! New!
Come out for the Grants LETR Basketball Tournament
This month, Grants Police Department will be putting on the annual West Region Law Enforcement Torch Run Basketball Tournament to benefit Special Olympics New Mexico. The tournament will take place from April 18-21 at the Grants High School Gymnasium and the Los Alamitos Middle School Gymnasium. You don't have to participate in the tournament to get in on the fun - everyone is invited to come watch our LETR officers as they shoot some hoops to support our SONM athletes!
For more information about the tournament, contact Jessie Nieto of Grants Police Department at 505-285-2984.
Mark your calendars for New Mexico Law Enforcement Torch Run Capitol Hill Day!
As we get closer and closer to our 2013 State Summer Games, we also approach NMLETR's 2013 Capitol Hill Day! Join us at around 3:00 pm on May 30th as the "Flame of Hope" arrives at the State Capitol in Santa Fe. Numerous LETR dignitaries will honor our officers and their commitment to SONM's athletes and families.
For more information, click HERE or contact Heather Scott at 505-856-0342.
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Run the Color Me Rad 5K for Special Olympics New Mexico! New!
What sounds more fun than running a 5K while also getting blasted with a barrage of paint? Nothing, right? Then why not sign up for the Color Me Rad 5k! 
The Color Me Rad 5K is a national event that makes running fun! The Albuquerque Color Me Rad 5k will take place on April 21st at Balloon Fiesta Park at 9:00 am. And there are a few extra perks for our Special Olympics families and fans. If you are interested in participating in the run, visit the link below and enter the promo code SPECIALOLYMPICSNM to get 10% off the registration fee and 10% of that fee will go to Special Olympics New Mexico! Sounds like a win-win!
Click HERE to register. Registration deadline is April 18th so be sure to sign up soon! |
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Upcoming 2013 Events
EVENT DATE LOCATION
Law Enforcement Torch Run May 13-June 2 New Mexico
State Summer Games May 31-June 2 UNM
Golf Classic July 15 Paa-ko Ridge Golf Course
DInner & Auction July 20 Hotel Albuquerque
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SONM Board of Directors
Executive Committee : CHAIRMAN, Tom Padilla; VICE CHAIRMAN, Jack Eichorn; VICE CHAIRMAN, Bob Scanlon; SECRETARY, Suzanne Frazier; and TREASURER, Steve Pino
Board Members: Shaylene Stephens, Nestor Romero, Suzanne Fields, Ryan Garcia, David Harnick, Jim Reist, Sharen Hart, Brad Hutchins, Walt Bolic, Darren Wilkins, Trish Stuart, Craig Amundson, and Karen Hudson
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Contact Us
Special Olympics New Mexico
6600 Palomas Pl. NE Ste. 207
ABQ, NM 87109
Email: sonm@sonm.org
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