March 2009
Feature Story
Important News
Law Enforcement Torch Run
Upcoming Events
Sports Department News
Development Department News
Norhwest Regional News
Southwest Regional News
Eastern Regional News
CAS Unified® Sports School Program
Board of Directors
Advancement
Feature Story
Special Olympics Connecticut
Celebrating 40 years…. As part of the on-going celebration of our 40th Anniversary we will be looking back on the milestones and highlights of our history. Every month we will offer fun facts and a
trivia question. The first person to respond via e-mail with the correct trivia question
answer will win a prize. If you think you have the winning answer e-mail Cathy Zaorski at CathyZ@soct.org by March 20. Good luck and enjoy the trip down memory lane!
Thank you to all those who submitted an answer to February’s Trivia Question…We Stumped You!
February's Trivia question entailed picking which of the following three slogans – Believe in Yourself/We Are Family/Grow High on Love - was not used by Special Olympics Connecticut. Obviously there are not many Pittsburgh Pirate fans amongst you. One of the choices, “We Are Family”, was the Sister Sledge song used by the Pirates in 1979 during their come from behind win of the World Series! The unanimous choice from all who e-mailed in was “Grow High on Love” which was used for the 1978 Summer Games, held at Western Connecticut State University. Thanks to all those who entered – we look forward to your guesses for this month!
Recently Connecticut sent 8 athletes to the Special Olympics World Winter Games held in Boise, Idaho. The first World Winter Games was held in Steamboat Springs, CO with 16 athletes competing. In fact Special Olympics athletes from Connecticut have participated in every Special Olympics Summer and Winter World Games.
March Trivia Question:
Who was the Head Coach from Connecticut at the 1991 Special Olympics World Summer Games and where were the games held?
March Fun Facts:
Did you know?
• March 19th Special Olympics Connecticut honors our outstanding athletes, volunteers, and sponsors with the annual Hall of Fame Awards. We will celebrate our 40th Anniversary at the event and a great evening is planned. The first Hall of Fame Awards banquet was held in 1998. Before that it was called the "Awards Dinner". For more information about this month's event please contact Kelli Bigelow at 203.230.1201 ext. 276 or KelliB@soct.org.
• In one year, Special Olympics Connecticut has shown 24% athlete and partner growth! In 2008 we served 5,292 athletes and 3,692 partners and this year we have 6,166 athletes and 4,980 partners. It is very exciting to see how far we have come in one year, let alone 40!
• The Law Enforcement Torch Run (LETR) Kick-Off Luncheon, held Wednesday March 4th, brought together Connecticut Law Enforcement from around the state to celebrate
the success of last year and look forward to some great awareness and fundraising
plans for this year. We are very proud that the LETR Honorary Chairman this year is
Lieutenant Governor Michael Fedele. Please visit www.soct.org and click on the
LETR page to see what fundraisers are happening near you.
Important News
Special Olympics Connecticut 2009 Winter Games Commendations & Recommendations Survey
In an effort to provide the best possible programming for our athletes and volunteers
we would like you to please take a few minutes and complete this survey about
your experiences at this year’s Winter Games. The link to the survey can
be found in th Sports Department News section of this issue of the e-newsletter.
Thank you for your feedback!
2009 Summer Games Coaches Meeting
The 2009 Summer Games Coaches Meeting will be held on Saturday, March 21st at North Haven Middle School from 10 a.m. to Noon. Please remind your Athletics, Aquatics, Cylcing, Gymnastics, Soccer, and Tennis Coaches of this meeting. For driving directions to the meeting please use the following link:
http://www.north-haven.k12.ct.us/ms/directions.html
The Southwest Regional Office is moving to Trumbull
The office will be moving to 101 Merritt Blvd, Suite 10, Trumbull, CT 06611 during the
last week of March. Our phone number will stay the same 203.380.9990 and the fax number is 203.380.9991. We will be sending out an e-mail regarding exact dates and directions to the new office.
2009 Hall Of Fame – “SOCT Celebrates 40 Years”
Don’t Miss Out – The 2009 Hall of Fame is being held on Thursday, March 19th at the Aqua Turf Country Club in Plantsville and we will be celebrating 40 years of
“Changing Attitudes. Changing Lives.” You won’t want to miss this spectacular event where athletes, volunteers, and sponsors are recognized for their many years of dedication and Special Olympics Connecticut will be celebrating its 40th Anniversary!
Emcees for the evening will be Brad Field and Tom Monahan from NBC 30 and special guest former Chicago Bulls player, Scott Burrell. He is currently the Assistant Men's Basketball Coach at Quinnipiac University.
Have you been involved or know someone who has been involved with Special Olympics for 40 years? We will be recognizing athletes, volunteers, families and sponsors who have been involved for 40 years with Special Olympics that night, so we hope to see you there!
Invitations to the 2009 Hall of Fame were sent out in February. If you want to attend and did not receive an invitation, please contact Kelli Bigelow at 203.230.1201 ext. 276! Tickets are only $25 per person so get your order in early before it’s sold out!
Please come and join us on March 19th to congratulate these award winners:
o Eunice Murtha Award – The Truwit Family
o Community Leadership Award – ESPN
o Lew Perkins Coach Award – Florence Chittenden
o Sheila Schmidt Volunteer Award – Karen Kalenauskas
o Bozzuto Family Award – The Kimmel Family
o Susan Saint James Award – Roger Burns
o Eunice Kennedy Shriver Award – Raishaun Holloway
o Region Awards - Southwest Region Outstanding Volunteer Award, Scott Goldin; Eastern Region Outstanding Business Award, Polish Falcons Club, Nest #519; Northwest Region Outstanding Volunteer Award, Lou Bennett
o Spirit of Life Award Winners – Jennifer Battige, Jessica Foberg, Craig Lucas,
Margaret Fiore, Tyler Kimmel, Jacob Pelletier, Jonathan Nelson, Linda Garcia & David Rees
o Unsung Hero Award Winners – Jonathan Greenberg, Lyn Nevins, Chrissie Nevins-Herbert, Charlotte Tacy, Kevin Fitzgerald, Donna Goodspeed, Dave Erasmus, Pam Neuendorf, Nancy Dolan, Doug Taylor, Rich Perusi & Mike DeFeo
Law Enforcement Torch Run
Upcoming Events
March 19, 2009
SOCT Hall of Fame Banquet
Aqua Turf
5:30 – 9:00 pm
Lisa Carlone
March 22, 2009
SOCT with the Bridgeport Sound Tigers
Arena at Harbor Yard
4:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Bridgeport Police Department
Captain Bob Gearing
March 24, 2009
Tip-A-Cop
Outback Steakhouse – Shelton
5:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Shelton Police Department
Officer Kevin Sherman
March 29, 2009
Dodge Ball
March 29, 2009
Hawley Armory – UCONN
April 15, 2009
Jail ‘n Bail
Southern Connecticut State University
8:00 am – 5:00 pm
Sgt. Tom Madera
April 17, 2009
Tip-A-Cop
Lakeview Restaurant
6:00 – 9:00 pm
Coventry PD
Ellen Jamaitus
April 22, 2009
Jail ‘n Bail
Fairfield University
8:00 – 5:00 pm
Todd Pelazza
April 24, 2009
Tip-A-Cop
Duffy’s, West Haven
11:00 am – 2:00 pm
5:00 pm – 10:00 pm
West Haven Police Department
Det. Sgt. Paul Zarnetske
May 13, 2009
Tip-A-Cop
Mickey’s Restaurant
6:00 – 9:00 pm
Hamden Police Department
Det. John Marks
May 19 & 20, 2009
2009 Karting Challenge
SOCT – Steve DeWitte
August 23, 2009
Dream Ride
September 20, 2009
SO-LE
Special Olympics – Law Enforcement
Fall Classic
Hosted by CrossFit USA of Berlin
The 2009 Law Enforcement Torch Run Program was held on March 4th at Foxwoods Resort Casino. In 2008, over $445,000.00 was raised by Law Enforcement in Connecticut to support our athletes. Below, are the awards given out for top fundraising department or agency.
Connecticut State Police Award
Trooper First Class Anthony Cipriano
Beacon Falls Resident Trooper’s Office
Department of Correction Award
Lt. Eric Dessaules and York Correctional Institution
Connecticut Police Chief’s Award
Captain Bob Gearing and Bridgeport Police Department
IACLEA Award
Director of Public Safety Todd Pelazza and Fairfield University of Public Safety Department
Top 10 Departments Fundraising Departments in 2008
Bridgeport Police Department $46,529.31
South Windsor Police Department $27,543.61
Fairfield University Department of Public Safety $22,103.25
Guilford Police Department $11,821.41
Southern Connecticut State University Police Department $11,647.86
Norwalk Police Department $11,557.00
York Correctional Institution $11,287.00
Farmington Police Department $11,191.00
Branford Police Department $9,688.00
Monroe Police Department $9,462.00
Law Enforcement Torch Run Hall of Fame Induction
Retired Deputy Chief from Branford, Ray Wiederhold was inducted into the Law Enforcement Torch Run Hall of Fame.
In 2005, we created the Law Enforcement Torch Run Hall of Fame. This award is given to an individual who through their hard work and dedication has made a significant impact on the Law Enforcement Torch Run Program and in turn has made a difference in the lives of our athletes.Ray Wiederhold became involved with the Law Enforcement Torch Run in 1985. He was the only runner from Branford, in fact, that first year he ran 14 miles, all the way from Guilford to East Haven because there was no one to pass the torch to.
Over the next several years, Ray got half of the Branford Police Department to run and
fundraise for the Law Enforcement Torch Run. He started the now famous Lenny’s Tip-A-Cop, the largest in the state, and in 2008 the event raised over $8,000. In the early 90’s, departments began to lose interest and fundraising declined. Ray took on the role of Torch Run Director to see if we could get back on track. Ray traveled to all corners of the state to spread the word, he attended Tip-A-Cops, other fundraising events, state police meetings, community group meetings, and he handed out medals to our athletes at many competitions. He became the face of the Law Enforcement Torch Run and working with our title sponsor, SNET, took Connecticut’s program to a new level.
Dream Ride 2009
The state’s largest motorcycle ride and car show will be held on Sunday, August 23rd.
Final details are still being worked out but there will be satellite start locations across
the state in the following towns/cities: Stamford, Stratford, Groton, Guilford, Columbia,
Ellington, East Hartford, Bristol and Danbury.
Riders are expected to join us from Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Vermont, Maine,
New York and Pennsylvania.
Please visit www.hometownwheels.com for more information.
Motorcycle raffle tickets for sale!
As part of the 2009 Dream Ride, the Hometown Wheels Foundation will be raffling off great prizes. All proceeds from this raffle go to Special Olympics Connecticut and the Law Enforcement Torch run program.
Please help us to support Bozzuto’s in their efforts as they continue to support us in our efforts! Contact your regional coordinator or Lisa Carlone at the Special Olympics
Connectictut Hamden office if you would like to get tickets to sell.
Upcoming Events
Feb. 28 - March 1 2009 Special Olympics Connecticut Winter Games
March 19 Hall of Fame, Aqua Turf Country Club, Plantsville
March 21 Summer Games Coaches Meeting
at North Haven Middle School
For driving directions please use the following link:
http://www.north-haven.k12.ct.us/ms/directions.html
March 29 Aquatics Coaches Training School
Click here for Aquatics Training School registration form
June 5, 6, & 7 2009 Summer Games
June 17 Fall Sports Festival Coaches Meeting
at CAS/CIAC Office, Cheshire
A list of upcoming Law Enforcement Torch Run Events is available in the Law Enforcement Torch Run section of this e-newsletter.
Click here for the 2009 Penguin Plunges
For more SOCT competition and special events click here
Sports Department News
Zoomerang Survey – 2009 Winter Games
If you were in attendance in any capacity at the 2009 Winter Games, please take some time to complete the survey by clicking the link below. All comments are valued and reviewed with the entire Games Management Committee for future planning. Should you need any additional information please contact laurie-jean@soct.org . Thank you for your assistance in this process of obtaining constructive feedback. Please complete this survey no later than March 31, 2009.
Here is the link for the 2009 Winter Games Survey.
http://www.zoomerang.com/Survey/survey-intro.zgi?p=WEB228WHL7CQZL
2009 Summer Games Coaches Meeting
The 2009 Summer Games Coaches Meeting will be held on Saturday, March 21st at North Haven Middle School from 10 a.m. to Noon. Please remind your Athletics, Aquatics, Cylcing, Gymnastics, Soccer, and Tennis Coaches of this meeting. For driving directions to the meeting please use the following link:
http://www.north-haven.k12.ct.us/ms/directions.html
Aquatics Coaches Training School
An Aquatics Coaches Training School will be held on Sunday, March 29, 2009 at the McCann Natatorium in Milford. Click here for the registration form for the training school. Registration deadline is Friday, March 13, 2009. Please contact Jen Williams in the Southwest Regional Office by phone at 203.380.9990 ext. 603 or by e-mail at jenniferw@soct.org , with any questions.
National Games 2010
The USA National Games will take place in July of 2010 in Lincoln, Nebraska.
Athletes will be chosen from the 2008 Fall Sports Festival (Traditional Golf gold medal
winners) and the 2008 Holiday Sports Classic (Traditional Bowling and Traditional
Powerlifting gold medal winners). Final team selection will take place after the 2009
Summer Games for the sports of Athletics, Aquatics and Tennis.
Tryouts for athletes and partners will be conducted for team sports including Unified ®Volleyball, Unified® Basketball and Unified® Bocce on March 21. All eligible athletes and partners are encouraged to apply.
We are still looking for certified coaches in each one of the sports we will be taking to
the National Games. We encourage all certified coaches to apply for one of these slots. Please contact Laurie-Jean at 203.230.1201 ext. 235 for more information.
Click here for the National Games Athlete & Partner Application.
Click here for the National Games Coach Application.
2009 Special Olympics Connecticut Winter Games
Thank you to all committee members and volunteers who organized and conducted the 2009 Winter Games. Mother Nature cooperated with us by waiting one more day to deliver the largest snow storm of the season and for that we are grateful. Over 797 athletes and partners competed throughout the weekend in Alpine Skiing, Snowboarding, Snowshoes, Cross Country Skiing, Figure Skating, Speed Skating, and Floor Hockey.
2009 World Games - Team USA
Congratulations to the 8 athletes who represented Special Olympics Connecticut at the 2009 World Winter Games in Boise, Idaho. Altogether they came home with 4 Gold medals, 8 Silver medals, 2 Bronze medals, 4 – 4th place ribbons, 1 – 6th place ribbon and 1 – 7th place ribbon. We are very proud of everyone and we know they had a wonderful time. Congratulations to Jennifer, Melissa, Brian, John, Scott, Peter, Kristin, and Julie!
Development Department News
Thank You to Our Winter Games Sponsors
We would like to thank our sponsors for all that they have done to insure the success of the 2009 Special Olympics Connecticut Winter Games.
Thank you to:
Title Sponsor: NORTHEAST UTILITIES (NU) with divisions CL&P, Yankee Gas, and Northeast Utilities Transmission. NU once again hosted our Cross Country Skiing and Snowshoeing competitions in Simsbury.
OTIS ELEVATOR COMPANY continued their support of our Alpine Events at Ski Sundown.
PRATT & WHITNEY served as Venue Sponsor of Floor Hockey and hosted the event at the Pratt & Whitney Hangar in East Hartford.
New to us this year, SUN LIFE FINANCIAL, joined us as Venue Sponsor of Skating at the International Skating Center of Connecticut in Simsbury.
TEAM ESPN for support of the games and the continued support both financially and with employee volunteers throughout the year!
Many thanks for the financial support and for the hundreds of employee volunteers who
served on committees planning and implementing the events. We could not do it without you! You have brought a smile to the faces of all of our athletes who competed.
Special Olympics Connecticut Collecting Phones and Accessories
Please look for the cell phone recycling boxes or self addressed postage paid envelopes at your local Special Olympics Connecticut office as well as at upcoming games and special events.
Special Olympics Connecticut has partnered with TWIGTEK, to recycle donate phones in the most environmentally friendly manner possible. A portion of the proceeds will benefit Special Olympics Connecticut.
Please consider dropping your old phones off after upgrading…
Auction Items Needed For 2009
Special Olympics Connecticut (SOCT) and our Law Enforcement Torch Run (LETR) program will be hosting the world in 2009 as the Law Enforcement Torch Run International Conference comes to Connecticut. More than 1,000 law enforcement officers from around the world will descend upon the MGM Grand at Foxwoods November 11-15.
In an effort to offset our costs in hosting this once in a lifetime event, SOCT/LETR will
present a Live/Silent Auction for conference attendees. This is a huge opportunity to raise significant money. In 2007, Special Olympics Oklahoma raised $50,000 from this event.
Auction Items Are Needed. If you have a timeshare, vacation home, artwork, sports memorabilia, or similar items that would generate interest and you would like to donate to this event. Please contact Bob Garguilo at SOCT Headquarters at 203.230.1201 ext. 223.
3rd Annual Susan Saint James Celebrity Poker Tournament
Foxwoods Resort Casino and the World Poker Tour Room will be the site of the 3rd Annual Susan Saint James Celebrity Poker Tournament on Sunday August 23rd. Buy-in is just $100 for $2,000 of chips. Re-buys are available along the way if need be. This is a fun tournament open to players of all levels.
Registration begins at Noon with the tournament kicking off at 1:00pm. The last two tables will be relocated into one of the ballrooms at Foxwoods as they will be featured during the post tournament cocktail/dinner reception – All for just $100!
Prizes include: a trip to Puerto Rico, tickets to a NFL game, overnight stay with dinner
for two at Foxwoods!!!
Space is limited to the first 100 players – send an e-mail to Bob Garguilo,
robertg@soct.org at Special Olympics Connecticut today to reserve your spot. That’s all it takes. The $100 payment is made the day of the event directly to Foxwoods.
Norhwest Regional News
Northwest Regional Hall of Fame Honorees
We congratulate and are proud that the following individuals from the Northwest Region will be honored at the 2009 Special Olympics Connecticut Hall of Fame:
Sheila Schmidt Award – Karen Kalenauskas
Bozzuto Family Award – The Kimmel Family
Spirit of Life Award – Tyler Kimmel
Spirit of Life Award - Jacob Pelletier
Northwest Region Outstanding Volunteer Award – Lou Bennett
Basketball Invitational
We are gearing up for another successful Basketball Invitational hosted by Ed Generali and the students of Holy Cross High School on Saturday, March 28th. We have a record number of 29 teams set to come for this great day of competition. Registrations were due on Friday, March 6th. Thank you to our sponsor, Savings Bank of Danbury, for supporting this event.
Aquatics Invitational
If you are interested in bringing your team to this year’s Aquatics Invitational on April
4th at Watertown High School, please be aware that intents are due on Monday, March 9th, with registrations due on Friday, March 20th. If you would like a registration packet or are interested in volunteering, please contact Morgan Reinig by calling 203.267.6566 ext.703 or by e-mail at morganr@soct.org. This event has been generously sponsored by the Thomaston Savings Bank for the last 6 years.
Northwest Local Coordinator Meeting
The next Northwest Region Local Coordinators meeting will be held on Wednesday, March 11th at the Waterbury/PAL Special Olympics office at 64 Division Street, Waterbury. If you need directions call or e-mail Morgan at 203.267-6566 ext. 703 or morganr@soct.org.
2009 Northwest Regional Games
The 2009 Northwest Regional Games will be held on May 9th at Danbury High School. If you would like to volunteer for this event please contact Morgan Reinig by phone at
203.267.6566 ext. 703 or by e-mail at morganr@soct.org for more information. The next
committee meeting for the 2009 Northwest Regional Games will be held on March 25th at 6:00pm, location TBD.
The 2009 Northwest Regional Games Kick-Off Breakfast at the Amber Room in Danbury on March 11th has been canceled. Thank you to those who were interested.
Law Enforcement Torch Run
Congratulations to Watertown Police Department and Detective Scannell for holding their first Tip- A-Cop and for raising over $1,010 at Dunkin’ Donuts. Congratulations also to Garner Corrections for holding another successful event at Senor Panchos in Southbury, and raising another $1,000. Thank you to Town Captains Kim Jones, Stacy Marmora, and the Garner CL posse.
It’s not too early to start thinking about ordering merchandise for the 2009 Law
Enforcement Torch Run. Please call the Northwest Regional office, 203.267.6566, for more information.
2009 Northwest Penguin Plunges
We wish to thank all the Penguins, Volunteers, Sponsors, and spectators who participated in the 2009 Northwest Region Penguin Plunges.
The Farmington Plunge had 183 Penguins take the plunge. Our thanks go out to Damon Scott and Jeannine Jersey of 96.5 FM for serving as Masters of Ceremony, and our sponsors Winding Trails and Farmington Savings Bank.
The Winsted Plunge had 163 Penguins plunge into Highland Lake. We are grateful to both the Rotary Club of Winsted and Torrington for playing such a key role as volunteers and sponsor this year! We would also like to thank the Winsted Fire, Police, Explorers, and Ambulance teams. We are most grateful to SCASCO, Northwest Community Bank, and the Northwest Chamber of Commerce for their continued support which began with the event's inception. Thank you also to our media sponsor WZBG for their annual contributions.
The Middlebury Penguin Plunge set a new state record for participation with 435 penguins plunging!! For the 7th consecutive year, Naugatuck Valley Savings and Loan led the volunteer effort, and were joined by law enforcement agencies from Middlebury, Waterbury, Torrington, and Thomaston. The I95 FM morning team of Ethan Cary and Penguin Lou Milano who served as Masters of Ceremony. We are most grateful to Emerson Processing of Watertown for their 2nd year of sponsorship.
The 3 Northwest Region Penguin Plunges raised over $192,000 in support of Special Olympics Connecticut Regional and Local Program initiatives.
Southwest Regional News
Important News – The Southwest Regional Office is moving to Trumbull.
The office will be moving to 101 Merritt Blvd, Suite 10, Trumbull, CT 06611 during the
last week of March. Our phone number will stay the same 203.380.9990 and the fax number is 203.380.9991. We will be sending out an e-mail regarding exact dates and directions to the new office.
Next Southwest Regional Local Program Coordinator Meeting
Thank You Dinner and Regional Games Meeting
April 16, 2009 at 6:00 pm
Fayerweather Yacht Club
51 Brewster Street Black Rock Section in Bridgeport
Aquatics Coaches Training School
An Aquatics Coaches Training School will be held on March 29, 2009. Click here for Aquatics Training School registration form. Please contact Jen Williams with any questions.
Get Ready to Take the Plunge at Compo Beach!
Special Olympics Connecticut – Southwest Region will present its Annual Westport Penguin Plunge on Saturday, March 7, 2009 at Compo Beach. Please note that the event, due to the tides, will take place at a new time this year. Check-in will begin at 9 a.m. and the plunge will take place at 11 a.m. Participants are encouraged to register early and set up their own personal webpage at www.soct.org/plunges . To request a registration packet or information about sponsorship opportunities, please contact Debbie Horne by phone at 203.380.9990 ext. 604 or by e-mail at debbieh@soct.org.
Individuals and teams are invited to plunge into the chilly water of Long Island Sound for a good cause-- to support individuals with intellectual disabilities and raise funds for
Special Olympics Connecticut’s year-round programs.
Bob’s Discount Furniture is sponsoring the event and providing refreshments and 95.9 The Fox will return as the on-site radio sponsor.
Early registration for the Penguin Plunge allows participants to raise understanding and awareness about Special Olympics Connecticut, and earn incentive prizes, along with a bowtie (signifying amount raised) and commemorative t-shirt. Awards will go to the top fundraising individual, team as well as to the participant with the best costume. Towels, water shoes, and beach blankets are recommended for penguins, who must be age 8 or over. Registration forms and waivers are required for each participant, as is a minimum donation of $50 to plunge.
Special Olympics Connecticut Night with the Bridgeport Sound Tigers
Tickets are available now for “Special Olympics Connecticut Night with the Bridgeport Sound Tigers”, an event inspired by members of the Bridgeport Police Department and supported by area businesses for everyone in the community to enjoy. The event will be held during the game on Sunday, March 22nd at the Arena at Harbor Yard against the Portland Pirates. Game time is 4 p.m. Tickets, ordered in advance only, may be purchased at the reduced cost of $15.00 per ticket by calling 203-334-GOAL, ext. 313 or by going on-line to www.soundtigers.com/ticket/group2.
When ordering tickets on-line please use Group Promotion Code “Special Olympics”. When ordering by phone please mention Special Olympics Connecticut when ordering and proceeds from each ticket sold will benefit Special Olympics Connecticut athletes.
For more information about the event and sponsorship opportunities, please contact Special Olympics Connecticut by phone at 203.380.9990 ext. 604 or by e-mail at debbieh@soct.org.
For a 3rd consecutive year, members of the Bridgeport Police Department will volunteer their time to come out to the game to join the Bridgeport Sound Tigers and fans of Special Olympics Connecticut. Their goal is to raise awareness about the organization, share information about volunteer opportunities, and raise funds for Special Olympics
Connecticut’s year-round programs. Business sponsors will be highlighted throughout the game. Special Olympics Connecticut skaters have been invited to skate between periods.
Shelton Police Department Tip-A-Cop on March 24th
The Shelton Police Department will host a Tip-A-Cop at The Outback Steakhouse, 698
Bridgeport Avenue, Shelton, 203.926.3900, on Tuesday, March 24th from 5 - 9 p.m.
Shelton police officers will volunteer their time to serve as “assistant” wait staff,
taking and serving orders to restaurant patrons at Outback Steakhouse. In turn, patrons will be asked to tip the law enforcement wait staff, with all money going to Special Olympics Connecticut to support its participants and year-round programs in Fairfield and New Haven counties.
A Day of Fun at the YMCA of Darien
The community is invited to the YMCA of Darien, 2420 Post Road, on Saturday April 4, 2009 from 9:00 am - 1:00 pm for a day of sports, fun, and entertainment for the whole family. Come learn how you and your family can get involved with the Special Olympics Connecticut program. Join the Special Olympics movement as it brings opportunities for fun, dignity, and acceptance to our friends in the Darien community. Learn about coaching, competing, volunteering, or being a fan of Special Olympics Connecticut. Get your children, teens, or the whole family involved in “Changing Attitudes, Changing Lives”!
This informative program will run during the YMCA’s “Healthy Kids Day”. We will have
demonstrations and there will be opportunities to talk to athletes, volunteers, and staff.
Sign-up sheets will be available for many volunteer opportunities that fit your interest(s)
and YOUR schedule.
New Aquatics Invitational - Southwest Region
In place of the Police Athletic League (PAL) Event this year, the Southwest Region will be holding a brand new Aquatics Invitational at Fairfield University on April 25, 2009. Local Coordinators have already been made aware and Intent to Participate forms have been sent out. The event will be limited to 200 athletes/partners so please get your intents in by the due date! If it is not full through the Southwest Region, we will open the event up to both the Northwest and Eastern Regions. Due to the depth of the shallow end of the pool,we will not be offering Developmental Aquatics events at this invitational. This event will be invitational, for fun and will not be used as a qualifying event. Snacks will be available and participation ribbons will be given to all athletes.
2009 Southwest Regional Games
The dates for this year’s Regional Games are May 9th and May 16th.
On May 9th, we will hold Developmental Aquatics in the morning at Hillcrest Middle School and Gymnastics will take place at the Lakewood Trumbull YMCA in the afternoon.
On May 16th, we will be back at Trumbull High School and Hillcrest Middle School for
Athletics, Aquatics and Tennis competition.
To sponsor this event, please call Debbie Horne at 203.380.9990. ext. 604, or e-mail
debbieh@soct.org.
To volunteer, please call Jen Williams at 203.380-9990, ext. 603, or e-mail
jenniferw@soct.org.
2009 Bender Financial Golf Tournament
New Date: September 14, 2009
New Place: Darien Country Club
2009 Southwest Region Bowling Qualifier
Mark your calendars:
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Circle Lanes in East Haven, CT
Eastern Regional News
Eastern Regional Local Coordinators Meetings - March 2009
Eastern Region Local Coordinators meetings will take place March 10th and 11th.
Tuesday March 10th
BKM Building – East Hartford
6:30 pm
Wednesday March 11th
SOCT ER Office Building – Norwich
6:30 pm
Athletics Coaches Training School
An Athletics Coaches Training School will be taking place in April, please contact Rita Ford by e-mail at ritaf@soct.org or by calling 860.887.1555 ext. 504 if your and/or your coaches are interested in attending the training school.
Hundreds take the Plunge for Special Olympics Connecticut
Well over 300 very brave people have plunged into the frigid waters of Connecticut to
benefit SOCT Eastern Region so far this Plunge season. Both Ocean Beach Park in New London and Polish Falcons Nest # 519 in Middletown hosted successful events in February.
Over 150 Penguins plunged into the Long Island Sound at Ocean Beach Park in New London on February 15th, raising nearly $30,000. Zack’s Bar & Grille returned as our “Penguin On the Rocks” winner and Dan Careb took home both the “Web Surfer” and “Emperor” awards for highest on-line fundraising and individual fundraising totals. “Team Charless” from HARC earned top honors for highest fundraising group, and “Frozen Assets”, representing the US Navy Deep See Divers, earned the “Arctic Hero” award. Jim Sullivan, age 61, was our “2009 Silver Penguin” and Connecticut College showed up in force winning the “Rockin’ Schoolhouse” award for top fundraising school group.
Other groups in attendance included: Special Olympics Connecticut groups from Groton and Seaside Saybrook; Team Viking from East Lyme High School; and Team Vermonsters. New London High School, New London County Rugby, and Groton City Police Department also had participating groups.
We’d like to thank our media sponsors Q105, WXLM, and 102.3 The Wolf, and our event sponsor Chelsea Groton Bank for their continued support, including over 25 volunteers who helped in registration and finance. We would also like to thank the New London Fire Department, Atlantis Dive Shop, New London Police Department, and the staff at Ocean Beach Park for helping to make this event possible.
Polish Falcons Nest # 519 hosted the 9th Annual Penguin Plunge at Crystal Lake on February 21st. Over 200 Penguins and 400+ spectators came out to support Special Olympics Connecticut and raised over $40,000.
Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal welcomed our Penguins and then took the plunge himself alongside Doug Taylor, formerly of DRC FM. Over 40 students from Vinal Tech High School earned the “Rockin’ Schoolhouse” award, with the “Emperor Club” award going to the Polish Falcons, who raised over $11,000.
Polish Falcons Nest #307 from Southington won the costume contest and members of Hartford Police Department earned our “Arctic Hero” award. Other groups in attendance included the Rocky Hill High School Swim Team, Parrotheads, IBEW Local 457, Starbucks, Middlesex Maniacs from Middlesex Hospital, Emily’s Cool Crew, UHY Advisors, Operation Anchorage, Middletown Police Department, Wethersfield Police Department, and Avon Police Department.
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Check out Metromix.com and Parson’s Photography for photo galleries of the event:
http://connecticut.metromix.com/events/photogallery/penguin-plunge-2009/976623/content
http://parsonsphoto.smugmug.com/gallery/7434626_F3iPX
Dodging for Dollars
It’s time to get your game face on! Students at UCONN have put up the challenge to Special Olympics Connecticut (SOCT) partners, coaches, and volunteers as well as Law Enforcement Torch Run (LETR) departments to face off in a dodgeball tournament. The UCONN Office of Community Outreach is hosting “Dodging for Dollars” to benefit SOCT on Sunday March 29th on the UCONN Campus. Teams may consist of 6 to 8 people and compete one of three divisions: Men’s, Women’s or Co-Rec. Trophies will be awarded to the top three finishers in each division as well as prizes for the best team name and best dressed team. A suggested team donation of $100 includes a t-shirt for each team member and snacks. Teams are also encouraged to generate pledges, with an award going to the top fundraising team.
Any local program or LETR department with a team in the tournament will be credited for the total amount raised including team registration fee and any pledges. Registration and pledge forms are available at www.soct.org on the Special Events calendar. Please contact Jackie Turro by phone at 860.887.1555 ext. 502 or via e-mail at jackiet@soct.org with any questions.
Visit the event web page for registration and pledge forms. Space is limited so reserve
your spot early!
CAS Unified® Sports School Program
Second Annual Unified® Sports Youth Leadership Summit
By: Bob Deasy, Assistant Director, Unified® Sports, CAS/CIAC
Tick-tock, tick-tock. March is here, can spring be far behind? The school year is almost over! But before the students run out the doors for summer, we want you to mark your calendars and save the date for this year’s Unified® Sports Youth Leadership Summit on Thursday, May 28, 2009 8 A.M. – 1 P.M. at Wesleyan University.
Building and growing upon our initial successful Youth Leadership Summit from last year, we are planning even a larger and more enriching summit this year. We will be selecting 150 students from various Unified® Sports and non-Unified® Sports middle and high schools to participate in team building and leadership stimulating exercises designed to challenge students to initiate and grow Unified® Sports programming in their own schools.
Student leaders from existing Unified® Sports schools will be challenging students from non-Unified® Sports schools to take the lead to initiate this type of life changing
programming in their respective schools.
Signifantly in part, this years’ summit will be funded through a Special Olympics Project “UNIFY” Grant directed to and administrated by the Connecticut Association of Schools (CAS) Unified® Sports school based Unified® Sports administrative team.
We have been privileged through our partnership with Special Olympics Connecticut (SOCT) to have been a witness to see so many lives changed because of the social and athletic relationships formed between our Athletes and Unified® Partners.
We will be featuring a key-note motivational speaker, student led break-out sessions, and a challenging closing exercise. One of our goals will be to strengthen current Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conferences (CIAC) in their Unified® Sports participation and to introduce Unified® Sports activities to additional CIAC schools.
Any interested schools should contact Bob Deasy at by phone at 203.250.1111 or by e-mail at rdeasy@casciac.org on Mondays, Tuesdays, or Thursdays.
Board of Directors
Next Full Board Meeting
The next full Board Meeting will be held on Tuesday, April 28, 2009 at 7:00 pm at the
Special Olympics Connecticut State Office. Please mark your calendars and Kelli will be sending out a reminder with agenda as we get closer to the date.
Advancement
Planned Giving
An athlete's future can begin today… Create a legacy of acceptance & inclusion. Please consider Special Olympics in your will or estate plan. For more information about Special Olympics Planned Giving opportunities click here.
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