hutton – special olympics

Southern CaliforniaSanta Barbara Region

www.sosc.org/santabarbara

Paid Advertising Supplement

The World Is Coming...In July of 2015, 7,000 athletes and 3,000 coaches representing 177 countries will join together in Los Angeles for the single largest event in Los Angeles since the 1984 Olympics. Santa Barbara will serve as part of the Host Town Program, welcoming 100 international athletes and coaches to train and tour during the 3 days prior to the Games. The 2015 Los Angeles World Games will generate unparalleled spirit, enthusiasm and joy!For more information, visit www.la2015.org.

ONE WOMAN’S VISIONLEADERSHIPLETTER TO THE COMMUNITY

Dear Friends,

I am hoping to appeal to your inner athlete, who remembers the thrill and pride while competing on the fi eld, court, or in the water. That excitement of teamwork, physical fi tness, and shared emotions when giving “your all” and hearing the crowd cheer is exhilarating and unforgettable. Right here in Santa Barbara County, we strive to generate those feelings year-round for over 500 local Special Olympic Athletes.

Today, I’m asking you to be part of something unique and powerful that will change the lives of youth and adult athletes with intellectual disabilities by supporting the Special Olympics’ “Support an Athlete” campaign.

Contributions will ensure that these deserving athletes receive year-round sports training, athletic competitions, and other services that integrate youth with intellectual disabilities with their peers in our local school districts, through our Project Unify and School Games programs. Special Olympics programs and services help our local athletes develop physical fi tness, foster self-esteem,and demonstrate courage.

Region Director Gina Carbajal

Special Events & Volunteer ManagerMichelle Duke

Regional Sports ManagerTim Philibosian

Leadership CouncilAaron Brown

Chris Casebeer

Gary Cunningham

Cimme Eordanidis

Marc Gamberdella

Colette Hadley

Catharine Manset

Billie Maunz

Robert Mislang

Ernesto Paredes

Mark Patton

Luis Quintanar

Jerry Siegel

Law Enforcement Torch Run CommitteePatrick Adams, DAI

Lt. Butch Arnoldi, SBSO

Marisa Ortiz, SBP

Dustin Patterson, CSP

Jonathan Gutierrez, CHP

Mitch Molitor, UCSBPD

Lt. Jim Pfl eging, SBPD

Special Olympics was started by Eunice Kennedy Shriver in 1962 as a summer day camp for individuals with intellectual disabilities (ID). In 1968, she organized the fi rst international Special Olympics Games, held in Chicago’s Soldier Field, where over 1,000 athletes from the United States and Canada competed. That year, Special Olympics were founded. From a backyard summer camp for individuals with intellectual disabilities to a global movement, Special Olympics have been changing lives of individuals with intellectual disabilities for over 52 years.

Based on the principles Eunice Kennedy Shriver set, Special Olympics provides athletes of all ages with the opportunities to participate in various sport competitions at no cost to themselves or their families. But without the generous support of donors like you, none of it would be possible.

That’s why I’m asking you to help Special Olympics Southern California – Santa Barbara County Region continue its tradition by “Supporting an Athlete.”

Sincerely,

Gina CarbajalSanta Barbara County Region [email protected] ext. 103

EUNICE KENNEDY SHRIVER believed in justice. But, in the late 1950s and early 1960s, she saw little justice in the way people withintellectual disabilities were treated.

She saw they were excluded and routinely placed in custodial institutions. They were often ignored and neglected, yet she knew they had many talents and gifts to offer.

CAMP SHRIVEREunice Kennedy Shriver believed that if people with intellectual disabilities were given the same opportunities and experiences as everyone else, they could accomplish far more than anyone ever thought possible.

She put that vision into action in 1962 by inviting young people with intellectual disabilities to a summer day camp she hosted in her backyard. She called it “Camp Shriver.” The goal was to explore the children’s skills in a variety of sports and physical activities.

The idea behind that fi rst Camp Shriver began to grow. In July 1968, the fi rst International Special Olympics Games were held in Chicago, Illinois.

In her remarks at the Opening Ceremony, she said the inaugural Chicago Special Olympics prove “a very fundamental fact” – that children with intellectual disabilities can be exceptional athletes and that “through sports they can realize their potential for growth.” She pledged that this new organization, Special Olympics, would offer people with intellectual disabilities everywhere “the chance to play, the chance to compete and the chance to grow.”

What began as one woman’s vision evolved into Special Olympics International – a global movement that today serves more than 4 million people with intellectual disabilities in more than 170 countries.

Give the life-changing power of sport to a child or adult with intellectual disabilities in the Santa Barbara area.

You can make a difference with a gift to Special OlympicsSanta Barbara. Gifts of all sizes are important to our programs.

Help make a difference in an athlete’s life!

$50will provide a uniform for one athlete

$100will provide new sports equipment

$250will sponsor a child’s participation in the School Games

$500will scholarship an athlete for one season of sports training

$1,000will help sponsor a team for one season

DETACH & SEND IN ENVELOPE PROVIDED

Please use my gift of $ ______ where most needed

SUPPORTAN ATHLETE

According to the World Report on Disability, individuals with intellectual disabilities are more likely than individuals without disabilities to experience unequal access to health care, discrimination in housing and job markets, and marginalization within social service and education systems. For parents raising a child with intellectual disabilities, these discouraging facts paint a frightening picture of theirchild’s future.

Cristian Quintanar was 2 and half years old when he was diagnosed with autism. Like any parents, Ana and Luis Quintanar had envisioned an active childhood for their son. They refused to accept the seemingly bleak implications of Cristian’s disability and were determined to provide Cristian with a childhood enriched by education, friendship, and activity. Luis, an avid sports fan and former athlete, felt that Cristian could benefi t from the challenging and rewarding world of sports. “I wanted him to play soccer and to be a part of regular events and play with regular kids, but I always felt we were missing something,” said Luis. “We were missing an important part, and we found it with Special Olympics.”

ATHLETESTORY

Cristian joined the golf team of Special Olympics Santa Barbara in 2009 and quickly became a star athlete and model teammate. He gained confi dence through sports competition and demonstrated courage through perseverance in sports practices. His progress as an athlete on the golf, bowling and track and fi eld teams caught the attention of volunteer coaches and, in May 2014 Cristian was awarded the Mayor’s Trophy at the annual Santa Barbara Athletic Round Table Hall of Fame Banquet. Today, Cristian has been awarded countless gold medals for his stellar athletic achievements and enjoys friendships with other Special Olympics athletes andvolunteer coaches.

Ana and Luis believed in a better future for their son and they believed in the power of sport to change lives. They now believe inSpecial Olympics Santa Barbara.

Athlete Abraham Moreno & Leadership Council Member Ernesto Paredes

Athletes Jolie de L’Arbre & Nanette Clark

Athlete Cristian Quintanar