News & Media

Athletes Advocate for Funding on Capitol Hill

Athlete Robin Batchelder and Coach and Local Coordinator Amanda Renaud of Special Olympics Farmington Valley and Athlete Sam Wollshleager of Special Olympics Seaside Saybrook and his parents Kim and Steve, along with  SOCT President and CEO Mike Mason and Director of Communications Debbie Horne represented Connecticut at Special Olympics' Annual Capitol Hill Day in Washington DC on February 10th. They were supported by Special Olympics International's Kate Turner. The delegation shared their personal stories and facts and updates about SOCT's Unified Sports® in schools and Healthy Athletes® programs as they advocated for continued Federal funding to sustain and expand these initiatives.

Members of the Connecticut delegation met with Representatives Joe Courtney, Jahana Hayes, and Rosa DeLauro and staff for Senators Chris Murphy and Richard Blumenthal and Representatives Jim Himes and John Larson. They were also provided with a tour of the Capitol Building and and had the opportunity to sit in on a Senate congressional session thanks to Cole Spalding, Staff Assistant for Senator Murphy. 

   

 

Choate Rosemary Hall Thanked for Swimathon and Support

    

SOCT President & CEO Mike Mason, Founder of The Hotchkiss School Swimathon and Former SOCT Board Member Keith Moon, and Athlete and new Global Messenger Fallon Moran visited Choate Rosemany Hall in Wallingford to thank the students and faculty  for holding a swimathon fundraiser during an all-school meeting on January 27th.

They presented the school with a banner in appreciation of its support. The event also marked the first time that Fallon gave a speech as a Special Olympics Connecticut Global Messenger - her presentation was warmly received.
 

Youth Leaders Come Together To Turn Goals Into Action

  

Members of this year's Unified Sports® Youth Leadership Council came together at the Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference (CIAC) office in Cheshire on January 31st to learn more about setting and achieving goals, try out a few fun activities that foster teamwork and collaboration, and share ideas they could bring back to their schools.

Youth Leaders are student athletes - both with and without intellectual disabilities - who participate in Special Olympics Unified Sports® at their high schools and have stepped up to be leaders among their peers. In this role, they help enhance and expand their inclusive sports programs and inspire others to accept and include people of all abilities in all they do.

A highlight of the meeting was Guest Speaker Steve Rzezuski presenting "From Idea to Impact: How Leaders Turn Goals Into Action" and the students responding by coming up with projects and the actions they'll take to complete them.
 

Athlete Honors Mother's Memory with Memorial Fundraiser

  

Athlete and Global Messenger Mike Hedrick organized and hosted the first annual Gail Hedrick Memorial (Bowling) Fundraiser to benefit Special Olympics Connecticut at Lucky Strike Bowling Alley in Milford on Tuesday. The event generated over $1,500 through tickets purchased and generous donations.

Mike held the event to honor his beloved Mom who was an avid bowler and longtime volunteer, coach, and supporter of Special Olympics. Half of the proceeds from the event will go to Mike’s local program, Special Olympics Trumbull,  and half to the SOCT state office.

Bowlers who participated in the event included Mike’s teammates, mentors, and friends. Mike bowled a phenomenal five strikes in a row, achieving the high score of 215 - and bowled his first frame with his Mom’s bowling ball.
 

Gymnastics Revolution

   

Again this year, gymnasts and organizers of the Gymnastics Revolution Team Challenge designated Special Olympics Connecticut as their charity of choice and collected donations from event attendees in lieu of an entry fee. They also invited SOCT staff and Global Messengers to share information about Special Olympics' mission and programs. The Team Challenge took place at at the the Connecticut Convention Center in Hartford, February 6th - 8th, and raised $10,267 to benefit our athletes.
 

Local Coordinators Gifted Items, Tour New Building

  

More than 60 representatives from 40 of our Local Programs attended an Open House at the future headquarters of Special Olympics Connecticut in Bristol on February 10th. They toured the new building, received helpful information about plans for the future, and received Special Olympics-branded banners, wagons, and tents for their teams. 

 

Staff Anniversaries

Employees celebrating milestone anniversaries with Special Olympics Connecticut were recognized at our Annual Board and Staff Meeting held in Bristol on January 27th. They include:

Marc Mercadante, 30 Years

Debbie Horne, 20 Years

Katie Dennett, 15 Years

Angie D’Amico, 10 Years

Thomas Green, 5 Years