delegations set for 48th annual summer games
TRANSCRIPT
The 2017 Special Olympics Southern California Summer Games are just over a week away with Opening Ceremo-ny on Saturday, June 10 at 9:30 am. Here is a look at what is happening as the Summer Games arrive:
• Summer Games: Delegations Named for Games; Schedule of Events• Champions a Highlight to Annual Breakfast• Final Leg Brings Torch to Games• Special Olympics Southern California LA Galaxy Unified Team Begins Season• Healthy Athletes A Big Impact at Summer Games• Athlete Spotlight: Swimmer Competes to Inspire• Volunteering a ‘Thrill’ For Retired CHP Officer
Interested in covering the Games or for more information on these stories and more, contact John Shaffer at (562) 501-1051 or [email protected]
Delegations Set for 48th Annual Summer GamesThe 48th annual Special Olympics Southern California Summer Games will begin June 10 on the campus of California State University, Long Beach. Twenty-seven delegations have been named for the Games, which begin with the Opening Ceremony at 9:30 a.m., followed by the Rafer Johnson Breakfast With Champions at 11. The Breakfast will feature UCLA Men’s Basketball Head Coach Steve Alford as keynote speaker. Competitions will begin at 12 noon. The Games continue on Sunday, June 11 with competitions beginning at 8 a.m.
More: https://wearesosc.org/2017/05/25/delegations-set-for-48th-annual-games/
Champions a Highlight to Annual BreakfastThe annual Rafer Johnson Breakfast With Champions will once again live up to its name as the tradition of champions will be a highlight of the morning. The Parade of Champions opens the event and is led by Olympic Decathlon Gold Medalist Rafer Johnson. The parade includes Special Olympics athletes, U.S. Olympians and notable sports champions. This year they include Tia Babilonia, Peter Carruthers, Lisa Fernandez, Kathy Heddy-Drum, Sher-ri Howard, Jenny Johnson-Jordan, John Moffet, John Naber, John Nunn and Jan Palchikoff.
More: https://wearesosc.org/2017/06/01/champions-a-highlight-to-annual-breakfast/
Final Leg Continues TraditionEvery year, more than 3,500 law enforcement officers will assist in carrying the Flame of Hope across nearly 900 miles to begin the 2017 Summer Games. The torch travels three legs through Southern California – a Northern Leg (San Luis Obispo, Ventura, Santa Bar-bara, Los Angeles counties), Central Leg (Los Angeles county including downtown LA) and a Southern Leg (San Diego, Riverside, Orange, San Bernardino and Los Angeles counties). The Flame of Hope will travel through Downtown Los Angeles on Thursday, June 8 and will feature handoff ceremonies at the Los Angeles Police Department Headquarters and
Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department Hall of Justice. Executives from both LAPD and LASD will celebrate the hand-off of the torch. SOSC athletes Caley Versfelt and Jordan Wall will be a part of the ceremonies.More: https://wearesosc.org/2017/05/29/final-leg-continues-tradition/
Unified Soccer Kicks Off 2017 SeasonSpecial Olympics Southern California’s unified soccer team was on the road in San Jose for its 2017 season opener. The Los Angeles Galaxy and San Jose Earthquakes’ unified teams took to the field last Saturday night (May 27) at Avaya Stadium, with the Galaxy winning 5-2. Special Olympics Southern California and the L.A. Galaxy team exchange program brings to-gether individuals with and without intellectual disabilities, ages 16-25, to promote social inclusion through sport.
More: https://wearesosc.org/2017/05/26/unified-soccer-kicks-off-2017-season/
Healthy Athletes A Big Impact at Summer GamesThe Healthy Athletes Village will be a beehive of activity for the Summer Games on June 10-11, offering free health screenings of all Special Olympics athletes in six disciplines. Those include Fit Feet, FUNFitness, Health Promotion, Healthy Hearing, Opening Eyes and Special Smiles. The Healthy Hearing service provided the chance for athlete Michelle Core to hear out of her right ear for the first time. She now encourages other athletes to go use the Healthy Athlete services. “Hearing was holding me back, and that’s why I say Special Olym-
pics has done a lot for me. I’m very grateful,” said Michelle. “All they need to do is go to the Healthy Athletes venue at the Summer Games this year and stay there. Let them check out your eyes, your feet, your hearing. Just go.”More: https://wearesosc.org/2017/05/31/healthy-athletes-a-big-impact-at-summer-games/
Swimmer Competes to Inspire Longtime Special Olympics Southern California swimmer Jeffrey Morris understands the importance of inspiring others to try new things and do their best. He himself was inspired as a child to become a competitive swimmer by watching his brother compete. “So the more I would watch him, the more I was interested,” said Jeffrey, 32, who competes for Bellflower. “I wanted to do that so much. I just wanted to swim, and I have not stopped ever since.” More: https://wearesosc.org/2017/05/25/swimmer-competes-to-inspire/
Volunteering a ‘Thrill’ For Retired CHP OfficerFor retired California Highway Patrol Officer Chris Blondon, the moments at the medal stand with the Special Olympics Southern California athletes represented “the biggest and best part” of his involvement. But that was just one aspect of a role with the Law Enforcement Torch Run that allowed him to volunteer at various events, and even run with the Flame of Hope on a number of occasions during Opening Ceremonies—including Summer Games. More: https://wearesosc.org/2017/04/28/volunteering-a-thrill-for-retired-chp-officer/