Wednesday: Chili’s for a meal and for Special Olympics Georgia
Wednesday, May 25, Chili’s Restaurants in the metro area will give SOGA 10 percent back on anything you spend for lunch or dinner. Each location has a takeout door — you can bring something home to your family AND help Special Olympics Georgia! So treat yourself on Wednesday to a nice meal out BUT you must bring the flyer. This promotion is good at all Metro Chili’s except
Airport, Discover Mills and Statesboro.
Watch for the torch relay near you
Check out the torch relay near your town as law enforcement officers run the Flame of Hope across the state ending May 20 at the Opening Ceremony of State Summer Games where an officer and an athlete light the cauldron. Officers carry the Flame of Hope into the Opening Ceremony of State Winter, Summer, and Fall Games each year. The top five fundraising departments have the honor of carrying in the Flame of Hope during these games and lighting the cauldron.
Support your local law enforcement officers as they run with the torch through your city through May 20th. Click here to download the full detailed schedule.
For the State Summer Games schedule and more information, click here.
For the press release about State Summer Games, click here.
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Mark your Nov. calendar for Busse Golf
Registration is now available for the 16th Annual Bob Busse Golf Tournament at Cherokee Town and Country Club in Atlanta Nov. 7.
This year, expect a great game of golf along with golf-course prizes, door prizes, a silent auction and wonderful reception all for the great cause of supporting Special Olympics Georgia and our inspirational athletes.
Complete the registration form and email it back to Jennifer Daniell or mail it to the Special Olympics Georgia office at 4000 Dekalb Technology Parkway, Suite 400, Building 400, Atlanta, GA 30340 or fax to 770-216-8339
Click here for the registration form
About Bob Busse:
Robert G. “Bob” Busse has devoted over 30 years of volunteer service to Special Olympics Georgia. From 1977-1984, he served as President and Executive Director of one of the organization’s most successful fundraising campaigns, The Lady Tara LPGA Golf Tournament. He was a member of the SOGA Board of Directors 1986-1999 and has tirelessly provided leadership-holding the offices of President, Secretary-Treasurer, and Secretary. He was an honored recipient in 2002 at the Channel 11 Community Service Awards for his dedication to Special Olympics.
Congratulations recent SOGA award winners
Congratulations to SOGA award winners:
Distinguished Service Award Outstanding Organization: Jones County Pilots Club supported the Jones County Special Olympics program since it began five years ago. Two of the club members became so involved in the program that they joined the local management team.
Distinguished Service Award Outstanding Local Program: Henry County Parks and Recreation Department began around 24 years ago and has evolved into offering 16 different sports and has a growing unified sports program. Each year Henry County works with the school system to offer a Special Olympics Fair Day, with 600 students participating.
Distinguished Service Award Male Athlete of the Year: Jones County Athlete Tony Fields has worked hard to overcome the communication barrier of hearing loss to make many friendships and compete in the county’s Unified Sports program. He most recently competed at National Games with his Unified Softball Team and won a silver medal. Through his competion in Unified Sports in the last three years, he’s also achieved success in soccer, and basketball.
Michael Ball, of Lithia Springs, was named the Boy Scouts of America 2011 Peach of an Athlete at the 27th Annual Peach of Athlete Role Model Banquet March 29. The Factory Shoals Middle School student has won gold, silver and bronze medals in basketball, track and field and softball Special Olympics competitions. His mother is Games Management Team member Ellen Rudd.
After an oustanding demonstration of sportsmanship, athlete Darrius Taylor of Gwinnett County was awarded a Sportsmanship certificate from Special Olympics Georgia. It was presented in March by SOGA Sports Manager Daniel Lockart.
Lockart noted that during State Winter Games in January, showed his teammates what the athlete oath meant to him and never gave up. Despite his physical disabilities he developed after a stroke two years ago while running track for his middle school, he used his abilities and even more so his heart. Darrius’s opposing team, The Hall County team, was behind in the last few minutes of the game. And as Darrius prepared to throw the ball to his teammate, he changed his mind and handed the ball to the oppositive team member who was standing underneath the goal. None of the Gwinnett team members tried to steal the ball away from the Hall player. The player, Alberto Diaz, took his shot but missed and Darrius rebounded and returned the ball to Alberto. Each time Alberto missed, Darrius gave him the ball back until he sank a basket. The entire gym erupted into a standing ovation for the two young men. While this basket did not affect the outcome of the game it affected the heart of everyone present and gave them one of those wonderful moments in sports that will never be forgotten.
Also throughout the year, loved ones are remembered and recognized through memorial and in honor of donations. The following people have been recognized from December through today:
In honor of: Paulette Bass, Levi Bishop, Lauren Fondo, Luke W. Hoffman, Haley Jackson, Officers who Serve Special Olympics Atheltes, Daniel Tucker, Cile Vardeman, and Elena Weaver.
In memory of: Ana Callahan, Ray Carte, Thomas Heinbaugh, Randall Hurst, and Gregory K. Whitley.
Friday: Greek Buffet for $25 and Some Proceeds go back to SOGA
Join us for an authentic all-you-can-eat Greek buffet, benefiting Special Olympics Georgia, Friday April 15 at Veranda Greek Taverna at 11235 Alpharetta Hwy. Suite 105, Roswell, GA 30076. Enjoy a buffet of Greek salad, hummus, grilled chicken skewers, pastichio, gyro meat, Tzatziki sauce, fresh pita bread, and chef’s vegetarian specials. Soft drinks included. Costs $25 and $10 goes back to SOGA. Click here for the flyer.
Also enjoy the sounds of KaZual, who’s appeared on America’s Got Talent and opened for Nelly, from 9-11 p.m.
Fun things to do – spring 2011
Your Top 5: From seeing sit on tops of doughnut shops later this month to sailing in a regatta in September, we have lots of neat stuff for you to try. Check out these few below:
1. Starting April 29th at 6am through Sunday, May 1st at 6pm enjoy a sweet treat from Krispy Kreme Doughnut. Help law enforcement officers raising money for SOGA get off of the roofs by making a dough-nation! All dough-nations benefit Special Olympics Georgia directly, so stop by today! For more information or find your local participating store, please click here.
2. Wouldn’t a little yellow rubber ducky look cute in your child’s Easter Basket? You can adopt five little ducks for $25, you’ll receive a souvenir junior duck. Click here to make your basket complete.
3. Not every athlete will have someone to cheer for him or her at State Summer Games at Emory University May 20-22. Be a fan in the stands at State Summer Games. Click here for the schedule.
4. Enjoy bowling or horses? Check out one of our two State Games happening August 19-21: State Masters Bowling in Warner Robins and State Horse Show in Perry.
5. Ahoy, matey! Schedule a sunny sailing weekend Sept. 9-11 in Lake Lanier in our Sailing Regatta.
Big Year for Torch Run
2011 marks the 25th Anniversary of the Law Enforcement Torch Run in Georgia and what a year it has been thus far! A record number of agencies have signed up to participate in this historic year, marking the most ever in Torch Run history with 160 total. New agencies such as the Georgia Department of Corrections, GBI, US Marshal’s Office, and many others are all taking part in this year’s efforts. Events are being held across the state from basketball tournaments, fishing tournaments, golf tournaments, auctions, casino nights, 5K runs and much more to raise the much needed funds to continue offering top quality programming for our athletes.
From the first Torch Run in 1986 this program has grown to raise over $8 million collectively. The Torch Run has become the largest grass-roots fundraising and awareness vehicle for Special Olympics worldwide. These officers don’t let anything stop them from raising funds – they’ll even go to plunging into Lake Lanier in February during the Annual Polar Plunge to sitting on top of the roofs of Krispy Kreme Doughnut Shops for 60 hours straight! Be sure to be on the lookout on how you can support your local law enforcement by checking out the event listings here. The 25th Anniversary of the Law Enforcement Torch Run will continue to be celebrated all year this year!
