ATLANTA – January 14, 2016 – In what is becoming a tradition for both Special Olympics Georgia and Cobb County, the 2016 Special Olympics Georgia State Indoor Winter Games return to Cobb County for competition the weekend of Jan. 22-24. This will mark the 24th consecutive year that the State Indoor Winter Games have been held in the Marietta and Cobb County area.
An estimated 2,100 athletes and 200 unified partners will compete in the following events: basketball, bowling, floor hockey, gymnastics and roller skating. In addition, the Southeast Powerlifting competition will also be held at the Marriott Hotel, featuring additional athletes from Alabama, Tennessee, Florida, North Carolina and South Carolina. The Games are free and open to the public.
“Special Olympics Georgia is excited to host the Indoor Winter Games all over Cobb County for the 24th year in a row,” said Special Olympics Georgia CEO Georgia Milton-Sheats. “We will have a record number of athletes, coaches, families and volunteers joining at the Games. We hope people will come out to be ‘A Fan in the Stands’ and watch some high level competition and have fun.
“Log on to our website at www.specialolympicsga.org to find out more about our organization and the athletes.”
The Games’ Opening Ceremony will take place on Friday, Jan. 22 at 7:30 p.m. at McEachern High School in Powder Springs. Area radio personality Moby will serve as the Master of Ceremonies, while the Opening Ceremony Grand Marshal is former Atlanta Falcons linebacker Buddy Curry.
Competitions will take place Friday, Saturday and Sunday at various locations. The venues include: Sparkles (roller skating), Cobb Gymnastics Center (gymnastics), Marietta Middle School (floor hockey), Ron Anderson Recreation Center and McEachern High School (traditional team basketball), Smyrna Community Center (unified team basketball), Windy Hill Athletic Club (3-on-3 basketball), Fair Oaks Community Center (basketball individual skills), Lawrence Street Recreation Center, the Salvation Army and Ward Recreation Center (basketball team skills) and Brunswick Zone and Marietta AMF Lanes (bowling). The Olympic Town festivities and Healthy Athletes program will be held Saturday, Jan. 23 at Marietta Middle School.
About Special Olympics Georgia SOGA provides year-round sports training and athletic competition in a variety of Olympic-type sports for 26,702 children and adults with intellectual disabilities, giving them continuing opportunities to develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage, experience joy, and participate in the sharing of gifts, skills, and friendships with their families, other Special Olympic athletes and the community. For more information, visit www.specialolympicsga.org.
May’s Athlete of the Month: Kwame Owusu
by David CrawfordThroughout the years of being a Special Olympics Georgia athlete, Kwame’s collection of medals and ribbons are beginning to mount up. At Sate Games, he competes in basketball team skills and modified volleyball each year. On a local level, he has competed in a broad span of sports that includes volleyball, basketball, bowling, bocce, tennis and athletics. Kwame epitomizes the true spirit of a Special Olympian with his encouraging attitude, kind-heartedness, positive sportsmanship and willingness to assist others. He has an extraordinary way of sharing and spreading this to his coaches, teachers and teammates. We congratulate Kwame on being May’s Athlete of the Month!
Special Olympics Georgia hosts annual Over the Edge Event at Overlook III Building
by David CrawfordATLANTA, April 21, 2016 – Overlook III — 76 participants will rappel from the 22 story building known as Overlook III in Vinings on May 7 in support of Special Olympics Georgia and over 27,110 athletes. The event is expected to raise over $100,000 for the organization in order to support the year-round training and competition of its incredible Special Olympics Georgia athletes.
Participants raised a minimum of $1,000 for the opportunity to go Over the Edge of Overlook III, located at 2859 Paces Ferry Road, Atlanta, GA 30339. Participating in an event that takes them out of their comfort zone and ultimately changes their lives forever, participants like Brian from Q100 the Bert Show and many more show the world their courage and their support of what Special Olympics athletes experience every day.
The event will go from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. with vendors and Q100 Radio’s Adam Bomb as the live on site DJ so come out and show your support for the brave individuals reaching new heights for a great cause.
Over the Edge is proudly presented by Cox Automotive.
Over the Edge is proudly sponsored by the Goddard Investment Group, LLC as the Building Sponsor.
The event is also proudly sponsored by US Poultry, Good 2 Grow and Modern Provisions as the Edger Sponsors.
Over the Edge is additionally sponsored by Jabian Consulting as the Toss Your Boss Sponsor and by DressUp, Hometown Foundation and QuikTrip as the Event Sponsors.
For more information or to make a donation visit: oteatlanta2016.com or contact Kristin Hill: kristin.hill@specialolympicsga.org.
Special Olympics Georgia (SOGA)
SOGA provides year-round sports training and athletic competition for children and adults with intellectual disabilities. Special Olympics Georgia invests in people with intellectual disabilities helping them to develop athletic skills, while also promoting the abilities of the athletes off the field. When the athletes succeed, attitudes change, communities develop, health and self esteem are built, and the eyes of the world are focused on all that is good and hopeful and positive. Athletes gain skills for employment, learn independent living skills, form relationships and help others understand their extraordinary capabilities despite health issues they experience daily.
For more information, visit http://www.specialolympicsga.org/.
The Punchline Comedy Club – March 31
by David CrawfordCome out for a night of laughs on March 31 hosted by Punchline Comedy Club at Landmark Diner-Buckhead. All ticket sale proceeds from the March 31 show will be donated to SOGA. The show’s headliner is Mark Viera.
Mark has been seen on: NBC’s Emmy Award winning show “30 ROCK”, Byron Allen’s “Comics Unleashed”, Comedy Central’s Gabriel Iglesias Presents: “Stand Up Revolution” and Russell Simmons Presents: “Live At The El Rey”, BET’s “Comic View” and AXS TV’s “Gotham Comedy Live”.
Doors open at 7pm and the show starts at 8pm. Tickets are $25 and can be purchased in advance at www.punchline.com or 404-252-LAFF(5233) or at the door. Landmark Diner
is located at 3652 Roswell Road, 30305.
The Georgia Renaissance Festival, April 14 – June 3, Fairburn
by David CrawfordThe Georgia Renaissance Festival will take place on Saturdays & Sundays April 14 – June 3. Use promo code “Special” to purchase tickets at a discounted price: adults $17.95 (regularly $23.95) and children 6 – 12 $8.95 (regularly $11.95). In addition, for anyone who uses the promo code Special, The Georgia Renaissance Festival will donate $2.00 per ticket sold to SOGA.
Purchase your tickets today at http://www.garenfest.com/.
Donate old or damaged cell phones and empty printer cartridges to help raise money for SOGA.
by David CrawfordDonate old or damaged cell phones,
and empty printer cartridges & toners
to help raise money for
Special Olympics Georgia athletes!!
Click Here to learn more!
End the R-Word Campaign
by Liz SmithHelp SOGA Spread the Word to End the Word! Click the link below to get more information on how to assist in the R-Word Campaign and how you can help end the word in your community!
http://www.r-word.org/
Share your story with Special Olympics:
http://www.specialolympics.org/03-31-09_Spread_the_Word.aspx
Special Olympics Georgia State Indoor Winter Games return to Cobb County for 2016
by David CrawfordAn estimated 2,100 athletes and 200 unified partners will compete in the following events: basketball, bowling, floor hockey, gymnastics and roller skating. In addition, the Southeast Powerlifting competition will also be held at the Marriott Hotel, featuring additional athletes from Alabama, Tennessee, Florida, North Carolina and South Carolina. The Games are free and open to the public.
“Special Olympics Georgia is excited to host the Indoor Winter Games all over Cobb County for the 24th year in a row,” said Special Olympics Georgia CEO Georgia Milton-Sheats. “We will have a record number of athletes, coaches, families and volunteers joining at the Games. We hope people will come out to be ‘A Fan in the Stands’ and watch some high level competition and have fun.
“Log on to our website at www.specialolympicsga.org to find out more about our organization and the athletes.”
The Games’ Opening Ceremony will take place on Friday, Jan. 22 at 7:30 p.m. at McEachern High School in Powder Springs. Area radio personality Moby will serve as the Master of Ceremonies, while the Opening Ceremony Grand Marshal is former Atlanta Falcons linebacker Buddy Curry.
Competitions will take place Friday, Saturday and Sunday at various locations. The venues include: Sparkles (roller skating), Cobb Gymnastics Center (gymnastics), Marietta Middle School (floor hockey), Ron Anderson Recreation Center and McEachern High School (traditional team basketball), Smyrna Community Center (unified team basketball), Windy Hill Athletic Club (3-on-3 basketball), Fair Oaks Community Center (basketball individual skills), Lawrence Street Recreation Center, the Salvation Army and Ward Recreation Center (basketball team skills) and Brunswick Zone and Marietta AMF Lanes (bowling). The Olympic Town festivities and Healthy Athletes program will be held Saturday, Jan. 23 at Marietta Middle School.
About Special Olympics Georgia SOGA provides year-round sports training and athletic competition in a variety of Olympic-type sports for 26,702 children and adults with intellectual disabilities, giving them continuing opportunities to develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage, experience joy, and participate in the sharing of gifts, skills, and friendships with their families, other Special Olympic athletes and the community. For more information, visit www.specialolympicsga.org.
2018 Over the Edge
by David CrawfordEver wondered if you had what it takes to be fearless and face new challenges head-on?
Join us Saturday, May 5th as we go “Over the Edge” for Special Olympics Georgia!
Over the Edge is an exclusive opportunity for individuals to take their support of Special Olympics Georgia athletes to new heights. In exchange for raising money, participants will earn the rare experience of stepping Over the Edge and rappelling down Overlook III Building in Vinings! This exciting even benefits the year-round training training and competition for more than 27, 115 Special Olympics Georgia athletes!
If you are interested in participating, becoming a sponsor or would like more information, please contact Ally Jordan at (770) 414-9390 x 1118 or visit our Registration Page.
SOGA Athlete Nandi Isaac appointed to Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities
by David CrawfordNandi Isaac
ATLANTA – November 13, 2015 – Georgia Governor Nathan Deal appointed 23 people to various statewide boards this week, and one of those appointees was Special Olympics Georgia athlete Nandi Isaac.
The Macon resident was one of seven people who were appointed to the Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities. The mission of the Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities (GCDD) is to bring about social and policy changes that promote opportunities for persons with developmental disabilities and their families to live, learn, work, play and worship in Georgia communities.
Born in the United Arab Emirates and of Indian origin, Isaac moved to Georgia with her family when she was six months old. She has been competing in Special Olympics Georgia for more than 20 years. It started at the age of nine with swimming, and has since broadened to include athletics, roller skating, sailing, equestrian, ice skating, hockey and basketball. Isaac will be competing in January in basketball at the SOGA 2016 State Indoor Winter Games.
Isaac has become a spokesperson and advocate for people with intellectual disabilities. Her various advocacy roles include being a partner in policymaking for All About Developmental Disabilities and has completed training in peer-to-peer support. Isaac is also a member of the Region 2 Quality Improvement Council of the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities and also serves on the Developmental Disabilities Advisory Council.
A self-made businesswoman, Isaac owns the microenterprise “ScanWithNan,” which helps people preserve their memories through photos. For more information on “ScanWithNan,” go to www.scanwithnan.com.
Give a Gift. Change a Life. Make Your Year-End Donation Today
by David CrawfordAnd as an added bonus, through December 31, our partner Finish Line will match your tax-deductible donation, dollar for dollar, up to a campaign total of $200,000. This “Ignite the Change” Matching Fund will double the impact of every dollar you give. This means Special Olympics Georgia will be able to do more for our athletes … reach farther to engage new athletes … and show the world more than ever what people with intellectual disabilities can accomplish.
Please don’t wait, make your matching holiday and year-end gift today.