"About eight years ago, my sister was having a hard time during a Poly Hockey competition," said Allie. "I was invited to give her some help and I've been coaching ever since. Because of my work with Special Olympics, I am now a Special Education teacher." 

Allie has also recently been selected as a Coach for the USA Games in New Jersey during the summer of 2014! 

"I'm looking forward to the USA Games," said Allie. "I'm excited to work with a new group of athletes from across New Mexico and cannot wait to meet Special Olympics athletes and coaches from all over our country."

The Posole Ole 5k Run & Walk is the newest addition to SONM's annual holiday Posole Ole event. The 5k Run & Walk will be at the Anderson-Abruzzo International Balloon Museum on December 7th. Participants will run or walk the race around the scenic Balloon Fiesta

 Park and afterwards enjoy warm El Pinto posole! Registration will begin at 7 am and the race will begin at 9 am. Awards will be given to the top 3 male and female participants as well as the top 3 participants overall in each age division. 

To register for the Posole Ole 5k Run & Walk, visit Bosque Running Shop at 6001 Winterhaven Dr. NW Suite I. You can also register online by clicking HERE. 

The traditional Posole Ole Fun Walk event will also take place on December 7th at the Anderson-Abruzzo International Balloon Museum. The Fun Walk promises to be a great way to kick off the holiday season, complete with a raffle, Santa, and of course posole. To register for the Fun Walk, click HERE. 

The Phillips 66 Gold Medal Campaign is off to a great start at their 23 stores in Albuquerque,

 Rio Rancho, and Los Lunas. Phillips 66 employees are working hard to sell $1 SONM Medallions to support Team New Mexico's participation in the 2014 USA Games in New Jersey!  Less than a week into the promotion, they have already sold 5,000 medallions! 

For the second year in a row, Special Olympics has been chosen as one of the beneficiaries of Finish Line Youth Foundation's in-store and online holiday customer and employee donation campaign, which lasts from November 1st to December 31st. Finish Line customers will be asked to make donations while checking-out, and the first $1 million raised will be donated to Special Olympics, Inc.! 

"This partnership is a great fit for us," said Dr. Timothy P. Shriver, Chairman and CEO of Special Olympics International. "We are a sports organization and Finish Line is a great sports brand with a passion to celebrate the achievements of athletes everywhere. Finish Line's commitment to supporting athletes with intellectual disabilities will be a tremendous asset as we continue to work to promote acceptance and inclusion for all people."

Visit one of the New Mexico Finish Line stores between November 1st and December 30th and support Special Olympics New Mexico! Click HERE for more information about the campaign.