Congratulations recent SOGA award winners

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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.