sportlight - Special Olympics Michigan

SPORTLIGHT
Winter 2016
Published 3 Times/Year
Area 30
Volume 28, Issue 1
THANK YOU!!
Thanks to everyone who has supported our program
throughout this year! Through your help, our program of
sports training and competition have provided our athletes an
unique opportunity to further develop their true potential.
Without your community spirit and support, our program
would not be a success. Thanks for all your sharing, caring,
and support!!
WITH AGE COMES EXCELLENCE!!
Can you believe that our newsletter is celebrating its 28 th
year? We’re happy to bring you all of our Special Olympics
events and activities. This would not be done without your
support, whether it be monetary or manpower. A special
thanks to QRP PRINTING who prints our quality newsletter.
We also thank all the athletes, parents, guardians, staff,
friends, and our special volunteers for this special year. We are
looking forward to a new year of sports training and
competition. Wishing you all a very joyful holiday season!!
2016 SPORTS CALENDAR
Inside this issue is our 2016 Sports Calendar. On the back side
of the calendar are our guidelines for attending state
tournaments. This is a handy pull-out reference sheet, which
we hope you will post on your refrigerator or other convenient
place. Make sure you keep a copy of this calendar. If you
misplace your copy or have not received one, call Mary Adams
@ 832-9443 to receive another one.
SPECIAL OLYMPICS FORMS
NOW is the time to get your Special Olympics form filled out.
This form needs to be signed and dated by a doctor and the
athlete’s legal guardian. If an athlete is their own guardian,
they may sign the form. This form is valid for three years.
An athlete will not be allowed to participate in Special
Olympics until their form is updated. The form is available
through Mary Adams. Call her @ 832-9443 to see if your form
is current.
Editor: Mary Adams
SOCCER SEASON
Congratulations to our three soccer teams on a
awesome soccer season. Our teams played
various teams and attended the Roscommon
Soccer tournament.
The Road Runners were coached by Kathy Peariso and
assisted by Frank How and Jeff Hardy. Congratulations on a
superb season: Jameson Baker, Jim Bernard, James Brisboy,
Jordan Cockrum, Josh DiMercurio, Jan Fitrakis, Eric Kuch,
Laura Lamberton, Laura Lorenzo, Tara Moore, Tony Peariso,
Cary Rickel, Sherri Smith, and Tom Wrath.
The Hurricanes were coached by Jon Thiel. Congratulations
to all: Eric Beach, Louis Bedford, Ardie Crowder, Kevin Davis,
Craig Hall, Silas Pitt, Gary Rozinski, Sam Smith, Kendall Thiel,
Jim Warner, Ricky Warner, and Andy Young.
The Wildcats were coached by Mary Adams. Congratulations
to: Anna Balch, Amanda Brown, Andrea Buchanan, Colleen
Dolan, Jenny Finzel, Christina Graf, Roxy Hall, Hollie Kayden,
James Morr, John Talbot, and Justine Wenzel.
A special thank you to our terrific coaches and assistants—
Jon, Frank, Kathy, Mary, and Jeff. You’re the best! Thanks also
to Ann Gach for refereeing our home games!
CHECK US OUT ON FACEBOOK!!
Have you “LIKED” us on Facebook? We post
several times/week. Check out all the latest
happenings on our Facebook page:
www.Facebook.com/Midland.Area30
We have three administrators: Deb Schultz,
Ann Gach, and Mary Adams. Feel free to contact
them if you would like something added to the
page.
 Mary Adams — [email protected]
 Ann Gach — [email protected]
 Deb Schultz — [email protected]
1
WALKING PROGRAM: SURE BUT STEADY!
by: Vince Mathews, Walking Coach
Walking for fun … who says exercise has to be hard work?!
We are excited to have so many friends return to Walking
after summer and fall sports, and new friends who have
come out for Walking for the first time!
Join Special Olympics walkers every Monday night @ the
Midland Mall from 6:00-8:00 pm. You can walk at your
own pace, by yourself, or with one of your friends. Come out
to walk or just to talk. We will be taking a short break from
Walking, and hope that all of you have a wonderful holiday
with family and friends!
December 14 will be our last Mall Walking day until
after the holiday. We will return January 11, 2016. Also,
Walking will be cancelled if schools are cancelled or due to
bad weather. Contact me @ 513-3868 for any questions.
FALL GAMES
The Fall Games tournament was held on September 25-27.
The sporting events included Flag Football, Soccer, Cycling,
Softball, and Golf. We sent a delegation of unified golf
athletes/partners, which was held in Ypsilanti.
Congratulations to our four unified golf teams and their
placement:
 Deb Schultz/Ricky West —> 2nd place
 Rob Schultz/Jim Bernard —> 2nd place
 Jon Thiel/Kendall Thiel —> 2nd place
 Gregg Young/Andy Young —> 2nd place
CYCLING SEASON
By Jennifer Adamcik, Cycling Coach
Six Midland athletes pedaled many miles and had great fun
on the Rail Trail and Chippewa Trail during July and August,
along with the cycling coaches. Andy Tudethout, Bruce
Fahlgren, Elizabeth Gisse, Jacob Balcirak, Jody Willey, and Joe
Kaczynski—along with Kay Harley, Jerry Kaczynski, Jeff and
Jennifer Adamcik—blazed the trails to condition and prepare
for the Grayling and Midland Cycling meets.
Area 30 Cycling finished the season as we hosted the first
annual Midland Cycling Mini-Meet @ the Dow Diamond on
September 2. We had 25 athletes from Midland and Bay
City compete in four different events. The competition was
fierce as athletes raced around the make-shift track in the
back parking lot @ Dow Diamond. We are thankful for the
generosity of the Great Lake Loons staff to allow us to use the
facility for the meet. We hope to host this again next year!
BASKETBALL PRACTICES
Our basketball program has dramatically
grown. We have 5 teams—3 Male, 1 Female,
and 1 Skills team. Practices will be held on
Monday, Thursday, and Friday evenings. We
are at a new location this year—Eastlawn
Elementary School. Here is our schedule:
Monday Evenings
TIMBERWOLVES TEAM / Coach: Chris Beechler
6:30-8:30 pm (new time)
1st Day of Practice—November 30
Thursday Evenings
LADY SPITFIRES TEAM / Coach: Lori Wright
6:30-8:00 pm
1st Day of Practice—Thursday, January 7
Friday Evenings
SHOOTING STARS SKILLS TEAM / Coach: Rick DeCaire
6:00-7:30 pm
1st Day of Practice—Friday, December 4
LAKERS TEAM / Coach: Patrick Young/Trent Way
CELTICS TEAM / Coach: Nikki Larson/Paul LaBlanc
7:30-9:30 pm
1st Day of Practice—Friday, December 4
Please note the practice times. When scheduling Dial-A-Ride,
please make sure you tell them the practice times so we are
not waiting @ the school for a long time (i.e. Lakers practice is
done by 9:30 pm; do not schedule a 10:00 pm pickup).
Make sure to check the Sports Calendar for a list of practice
dates. Letters were sent out in early November to all athletes
notifying them of which team they are placed on. If you
have any questions, please contact Mary Adams @ 832-9443.
CROSS-COUNTRY SKI PRACTICES
Cross Country practices will be held on Saturday mornings
from 10:00-12:00 noon on January 9.16.23 @ the City
Forest . We will ski together through the woods. If there is
no snow, we will walk through the forest. Make sure you dress
for the weather; remember, no jeans!! If you are interested
in skiing, contact Mary Kaczynski @ 992-5315.
SNOWSHOE PRACTICES
Snowshoe practices will be held @ Plymouth Park (meet by
Shelter “A” by the pool) from 10:00-11:00 am on
Saturday mornings on January 9.16.23. If there is no
snow, we will still have practice. If you have any questions or
would like to snowshoe, contact Mary Adams @ 832-9443.
ALPINE SKIING
If you are interested in skiing, contact
Ann Gach @ 631-8662.
2
AQUATICS PROGRAM
BASKETBALL SKILLS REGIONAL TOURNAMENT
Practices are held every Wednesday evening from
October thru May from 7:00-8:30 pm @ Northeast
Middle School. John Muisenga is our Aquatics coach and
is always looking for volunteers. If interested, please call
John @ 631-1034 or email: [email protected].
Our seventh annual Basketball Skills Tournament will be
held on Friday, March 4 @ Eastlawn Elementary
School, from 6:00-9:00 pm. Athletes will compete for
medals from Midland, Bay City, and Roscommon. Come out
and watch the athletes showcase their awesome basketball
talents!
AREA 9 WINTER GAMES
Due to the vast number of basketball skills athletes in our
program, we host this tournament instead of attending the
State Basketball Tournament in March. Medals are
awarded to all athletes, and refreshments will be served.
This is also the last day of practice for our basketball skills
athletes.
We will be attending the Area 9 Winter Games Meet on
Saturday, January 30 from 10-1 pm @ Auburn Park.
We will compete with athletes from Area 9 and Area 7 in
cross-country skiing and snowshoe.
STATE WINTER GAMES
We will be sending a delegation of 16 people
to the State Winter Games held @ the Grand Traverse
Resort in Traverse City on February 2-5. Alpine Skiing
and Cross Country Skiing will be held @ Schuss Mountain.
Snowshoe will be held @ the Grand Traverse Resort. In
order for an athlete to attend these games, they must
attend the practices, the Area 9 Area Winter Games, and
their Special Olympics form must be up to date.
DISTRICT SENIOR MALES BASKETBALL
TOURNAMENT
The District Basketball Tournament for the Senior Male
teams will be held on Saturday, March 5 @ CMU. Our
three male teams — coached by Chris Beechler, Trent
Way, Patrick Young, Nikki Larson, and Paul LaBlanc—will
participate in this tournament. Teams that win their
respective division will then attend the State Basketball
Tournament in Rockford on March 18-19. Good luck to our
teams!!
STATE SENIOR MALES/FEMALES
BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT
The State Seniors Males/Females
Basketball Tournament will be held in
Rockford on March 18-19.
In order to attend this tournament, the Senior Male
basketball teams will attend the District Basketball
Tournament in Mt. Pleasant and must win their respective
division in order to advance onto state competition.
Our Female team will attend the State Basketball
Tournament. Good luck to all the athletes!
Do you know someone who could benefit from
participating in Special Olympics sports training and
competition? If so, have them call or email our Area
Director—Mary Adams @ 989-832-9443 or
[email protected]. Special Olympics athletes
develop physical fitness and self-confidence that
helps them succeed at home, school, and work.
REGIONAL AQUATICS MEET
Our Regional Aquatics Meet will be held on
Saturday, March 12 @ Dow High School
from 9-3 pm. Last year, we had 95 athletes
(the most ever!) competing from Alpena, Bay City,
Mt. Pleasant, Roscommon, Saginaw, Traverse City, and
Midland. We need volunteers to ensure the success of this
regional meet. Please contact John Muisenga @ 631-1034 if
you can volunteer.
TRACK-N-FIELD / BOCCE PRACTICES
Practices will start on Saturday, April 9 and continue every
Saturday through May 14. Practices will be held @
Eastlawn Elementary from 9:30-11:30 am. Check our
sports calendar for all scheduled practices. If you have any
questions, call Mary Adams @ 832-9443.
BOWLING PRACTICES
Bowling practices will be held on Saturday afternoons
from 1:30-3:30 @ Northern Lanes on April 23.30 and
May 7.14. Due to the limited number of bowlers we take
to State Summer Games, athletes are selected beforehand
by the Bowling Coach—Joann Roy. Preferential selection is
given towards our athletes in wheelchairs or with limited
mobility as they do not participate in our other sporting
events. Athletes will be notified by Joann if you are selected
to bowl. If you do not hear from Joann, then you will not be
bowling and should not attend practices.
AREA 30 WELCOMES
NEW ATHLETES!
Welcome to the following
athletes who have joined
our program:
Brian Nunn
Blaine Phillips
Scott Roberts
3
ANDY’S CURLING LEAGUE
By: Gregg Young
The Midland Curling Club and the
Midland Community Center have recently
made their commitment to Andy’s League
permanent! They have established a separate account for
Andy’s League and have reduced the fee for ice time, which
will make our fundraising much easier. Past sponsors include
Dow Chemical, Chemical Bank, Tim Horton’s, and a grant
from the Darwin Curtis Foundation and the United States
Curling Association. This year’s sponsors will include Right At
Home and Young Associates, Inc.
Our schedule for the 2015-16 season includes 14 Saturday
mornings from 9:00-12:00 noon, starting October 31 and
ending March 5. Here are the practice dates:






October 31
November 7.14.21
December 12.19
January 2.9.16.30
February 13.20.27
March 5
Andy’s League was created for people with physical or
developmental disabilities—along with their families, friends,
and support staff. Everyone is invited to try another winter
sport. All you need is to dress warmly—air temperature on the
ice is about 40°F. We will provide gripper rubbers to fit over
your shoes. We use sticks to deliver the stones so anyone can
do it, including people in wheelchairs.
The Midland Curling Center is located @ 2009 Jefferson
Avenue. If you have any questions, contact Gregg Young @
989-492-2029. Hope to see you on the ice. Curling Rocks!
“BOWLING BUDDIES” BOWLING LEAGUE
Bowling Buddies is off to a rolling start … we currently have 68
bowlers (the most ever)!! Remember, this is not Special
Olympics sponsored, which means that Special Olympics does
not pay for bowling. This is a bowling league so at the end of
the year, we host a bowling banquet —complete with dinner
and awards. Note: if a person does not show up for a practice,
they will be charged $3/practice as this money is applied
towards the banquet and awards cost.
Practices are held on Saturday afternoons from now through
April. Here are the remaining practice dates:
Dates:
January 9.23
February 6.13
March 12.26
April 2 (Banquet)
Time:
1:00-3:30 pm
(check in @ 1:00,
bowling starts at 1:30)
Location:
Northern Lanes
Cost:
$10/week
(includes two games plus bowling shoes)
Who:
Anyone!! Can be Athletes, Volunteers,
unified partners; it’s open to all!
If you have any questions, feel free to contact either:
 Joann Roy @ 687-7235 or (email) [email protected]
 Tina Kocsis @ 501-3400 or (email) [email protected]
YOUNG ATHLETES PROGRAM
SPECIAL OLYMPICS MICHIGAN (SOMI)
NEW IMPROVED WEBSITE
Check out the revamped SOMI website. It is very easy and
user friendly. To view our area webpage, follow these easy
steps:
1. Log into the website —> www.somi.org
2. Click on: “Select a Local Area Program”
3. Select “Midland”
This page is specific to our area and has many forms you can
access. Our sports and contact information is listed. We also
have a link to our area Facebook page. This webpage is
updated continuously. Feel free to share this with your family,
friends, co-workers, etc.
Any questions, contact Deb Schultz @ [email protected] or
Mary Adams @ [email protected].
Our Young Athletes Program has been revamped. This is for
athletes aged 2-7. Practices are held @ Longview School on
Monday afternoons from 4:30-5:30. Lori Wright is our YAP
Coordinator.
Mark your calendar
with these dates:







November 9.23
December 7
January 11.25
February 8.22
March 7
April 9.23
May 7.21
Lori needs volunteers to assist with this program. The parents
of the young athletes will be present, but having extra
volunteers would be appreciated. If you’d like to volunteer,
contact Lori @ 989-859-1544 or [email protected].
Also, pass the word if you know of children that might be
interested in this program.
These young athletes are the future of our program. Come
out and watch these young athletes. You will be enthralled!
4
2016 SPORTS CALENDAR
SPECIAL OLYMPICS MIDLAND COUNTY
Basketball Practices
Monday/Thursday/Friday evenings
January 4.7.8.11.14.15.18.21.22.25.28.29
February 1.4.5.8.11.12.15.18.19.22.25.26.29
March 3.4.7.10.11.14.17
December 2.5.9.12.16
6:30-8:30 pm (Monday)
6:30-8:00 pm (Thursday)
6:00-9:30 pm (Friday)
Location: Eastlawn Elementary
Cross-Country Practices
Saturday mornings
January 9.16.23
10:00-12:00 noon
Location: City Forest
Snow Shoe Practices
Saturday mornings
January 9.16.23
10:00-11:00 am
Location: Plymouth Park
Alpine Skiing Practices
Saturday’s in January
Dates To Be Determined
Location: Various Ski Resorts
Aquatics Practices
Wednesday evenings
January - May
October - December
7:00-8:30 pm
Location: Northeast Middle School
Young Athletes Program
Monday afternoons
January 11.25 / February 8.22 / March 7
4:30-5:30 pm
Location: Longview School
Saturday mornings
April 9.23 / May 7.21
10:30-11:30 am
Location: Eastlawn Elementary
Basketball Skills Regional Tournament
Friday, March 4
6:00-9:00 pm
Location: Eastlawn Elementary
District Males Basketball Tournament
Saturday, March 5
Location: Mt. Pleasant
Regional Aquatics Invitational
Saturday, March 12
9:00-3:00 pm
Location: Dow High School
State Basketball Tournament
March 18-19
Location: Rockford
Track-n-Field / Bocce Practices
Saturday mornings
April 9.16.23.30 / May 7.14
9:30-11:30 am
Location: Eastlawn Elementary
State Summer Games
June 2-4
Location: CMU, Mt. Pleasant
Family Hall of Fame Banquet
Wednesday, June 22
6:00-8:00 pm
Location: Plymouth Park, Shelter "A"
Golf Practices
Saturday afternoons
May 28 / June 11.18.25 / July 2.9.16
2:30-5:00 pm
Location: Currie Golf Course
Softball Practices
Tuesday/Thursday evenings
June 7.9.14.16.21.23.28.30
July 5.7.12.14.19.21.26
6:00-8:00 pm
Location: Midland High School
GOLF OUTING FUNDRAISER
Saturday, July 23
Location: Sandy Ridge Golf Course
Cycling Practices
Tuesday evenings
July 19.26 / August 2.9.16.23.30
September 6.13.20
4:30-5:30 pm
Location: Midland Tridge (Rail Trail)
Bowling Practices
Saturday afternoons
April 23.30 / May 7.14
1:30-3:30 pm
Location: Northern Lanes
Soccer Practices
Monday evenings
August 22.29
September 7.12.19.26
6:00-7:30 pm
Location: Midland Soccer Complex
SPAGHETTI DINNER FUNDRAISER
Monday, April 25
Time: 5:00-7:00 pm
Location: Trinity Lutheran Church
LETR RUN
Thursday, September 15
5:30-7:00 pm
Location: Law Enforcement Center
State Winter Games
February 2-5
Location: Grand Traverse Resort
ANNUAL TAG-DAY FUNDRAISER
Thursday/Friday, May 5-6
4:00-8:00 pm (both days)
Location: Various Stores
State Fall Games
September 24-25
Location: Ypsilanti (Golf)
Chelsea (Cycling)
BOWL-A-THON FUNDRAISER
Saturday, February 20
Time: 1:00-4:00 pm
Location: Northern Bowling Lanes
Area Summer Games
Saturday, May 21
11:00-3:00 pm
Location: Dow High School
SOUP & SALAD DINNER FUNDRAISER
Saturday, October 22
Time: 5:00-7:00 pm
Location: Trinity Lutheran Church
Walking Program Practices
Monday evenings
January - April / September - December
6:00-8:00 pm
Location: Midland Mall
Area 9 Winter Games
Saturday, January 30
10:00-1:00 pm
Location: Auburn Park
AREA 30 SPECIAL OLYMPICS
GUIDELINES FOR ATTENDANCE
AT STATE TOURNAMENTS
Following are a list of guidelines for selecting athletes to attend state tournaments (i.e. basketball, soccer, track and
field, etc):
1. PRACTICE
To qualify for a state tournament, the athlete must attend a minimum of six (6) practices. All of our sport
seasons consist of at least an 8-week training program. It is only fair to take an athlete to the state meet who
participated in the training and competition versus an athlete who has not. Our philosophy is that an athlete
who is not trained will not be ready for sports competition.
2. FREQUENCY
This means how many times an athlete attends a state tournament. Generally, athletes that have never been
to a state meet or have not attended one within the past year will be selected. However, there are exceptions.
For example, it is the swimming coach's discretion to choose the swimmers; many of our swimmers have been in
the program for years, and they may be continuously selected to attend the state swimming tournament. If an
athlete participates in all the Special Olympics sport events (i.e. soccer, basketball, softball, etc), generally they
are not chosen to attend the summer games. WE TRY TO BE AS FAIR AS POSSIBLE. WE WANT EVERYONE
TO HAVE THEIR TURN; HOWEVER, THEY MUST FOLLOW THESE GUIDELINES TO BE CONSIDERED.
3. INDEPENDENT
The athlete must be fairly independent. The chaperones have responsibility for four (4) athletes and cannot be
expected to devote their full attention to just 1 athlete. We do not and will not have time to "pamper" them;
one must not stifle the ability an athlete has if allowed to show it. THIS IS A LEARNING EXPERIENCE FOR THE
ATHLETE. Let's not ruin it by suffocating the athlete.
4. BEHAVIOR
The athlete must display good behavior. They must be able to take DIRECT ORDERS from the chaperones.
They must behave appropriately. We will tolerate misbehavior at times; however, we will not endure
misbehavior constantly from anyone.
NOTE: Misbehavior consists of the following: bad attitude, unwilling to listen or cooperate, stealing,
unexplained absences, excessive foul language, overly aggressive behavior, running away, etc.
5. ATTITUDE
If an athlete refuses a ribbon or medal at a state tournament, they will not be allowed to attend that specific
tournament of a period of 1 year.
6. UPDATED FORMS
In order for an athlete to participate, their Special Olympics Health Appraisal Form must be updated. This
form includes two sections: a medical portion, which needs to be signed and dated by a doctor, and the legal
guardian section which needs to be signed and dated by the athlete's legal guardian. If an athlete is their own
guardian, they may sign that portion. The Area 30 Medical Update Form needs to be updated whenever an
athlete attends a Special Olympics competition and/or whenever there are medication changes.
11/1/10
3
FUNDRAISING NEWS!
OFF THE CUFF WITH GUFF
by: Ben Guffey, Special Olympics Athlete
BOWL-A-THON FUNDRAISER
Mark your calendars now for our sixth annual
Bowl-A-Thon Fundraiser, which will be held on
Saturday, February 20 @ Northern Lanes.
The entry fee is $25/person, and includes one hour of bowling.
People are encouraged to get pledges towards their entry fee.
Of course, we are hoping that people will get more pledges
than just $25!
A flyer will be sent out soon with details, but we want you to
mark your calendar for this upcoming event. Please contact
Tina Kocsis (501-3400) or Deb Schultz (430-6101) for more
information.
LAW ENFORCEMENT TORCH RUN (LETR)
On Thursday, September 17, the fifth annual Law
Enforcement Torch Run was held in Midland on a hot, sunny
day. Deputy Chief Rod Roten was in charge of organizing/
coordinating this event. He did another spectacular job.
There were over 250 people that participated. For the past
two years, the Midland Run has had the most participants
of any run in Michigan, and this year was a three-peat!!
Thanks to all the runners and walkers who participated,
including these wonderful groups— the Midland High and
Dow High Cross Country and Track teams, Sanford
Meridian Cross Country team, Northwood Cross Country
team, the Northeast Middle School and Jefferson Middle
School Cross Country teams, Midland Gymnastics Club,
Midland Prosecutors Office, and Reaction Fitness.
The run started @ the Law Enforcement Center and ended
@ the Loons Stadium. Runners ran into the stadium and
around the bases, ending @ home plate. We had 8 Special
Olympics athletes competing in this run. Our athlete—Joe
Kaczynski—lit the torch and lead the run with Deputy Chief
Roten.
We wish to thank Chris Mundhenk from Loons Stadium for
coordinating the run with Deputy Chief Roten. Thanks to
Community Relations Officer Paul McDonald for providing
all the public relations and media coverage. Also, a big
THANK YOU to Senator Stamas and Pizza Sam’s for
providing pizzas to all the participants. Thank you also to
Tina Kocsis, Cheri Johnson, Mary Kaczynski, Ann Gach,
Mary Adams, Deb Schultz, and Arlene Bernard for
providing refreshments.
How many people can say that 2015 was a good year? To me,
2015 couldn’t get any better. To put the finishing touches on
2015, I have a treat for you …
I know we have a lot of super hero fans. At State Summer
Games this year, the theme of the t-shirt was “Mighty Marvels”.
What I have for you is a first for me. Ladies and Gentlemen and
Special Olympians of all ages … I am going to tell you a story
about freedom fighters known as the Spirit Squad going up
against the Agents of Evil, whose only intentions are to spread
evil. Our story takes place in the intergalactic cosmos. Our
superheroes are testing their new equipment and refining their
skills. The team of the Spirit Squad consists of Captain Altro
Magnus, Filchick (the fearless, vivid, radiant super hero), and
Black Velvet (who is able to move around without notice).
Captain Magnus said, “Hey gang, let’s go to headquarters to see
what is going on in the universe. We got something on our
monitor. It is a planet of some sort. Zoom in on it so I can get a
better idea of what we’re looking at. There are people on the
planet. Let’s turn on the sound to hear what they are doing.
Well, what do you know? It sounds like they are getting ready
for a Special Olympics tournament; this sounds like fun! Listen, I
am picking up another signal. Oh no! We are being tracked by
the Agents of Evil”, (lead by Captain Zarton and his crew of
Malmac and Sephra). “We should have known; we didn’t see it
coming.” The Agents of Evil were intent on ruining the Summer
Games events!
Meanwhile in Mt. Pleasant, Mary Adams and the gang are at
the Summer Games. Opening Ceremonies has just begun, and
everybody is excited to compete. Captain Zarton said, “Good …
just as we planned, the athletes are distracted. Now for our
master plan. Let’s make ourselves unnoticed and ruin the
events. Everybody take your place at the 100M Dash. Malmac,
use your crushing abilities and stomp everyone like ants.”
Without any notice, the Spirit Squad came to the rescue.
Captain Magnus said, “Malmac, I’m stopping you right now so
you cannot ruin the track and stomp the people. You failed
again!” The Spirit Squad went to the other events. Captain
Magnus said, “We are the Spirit Squad from the intergalactic
cosmos and who might you be?” “I am Mary Adams. You sure
saved us from being squashed. Thank you!” Captain Magnus
said, “The Spirit Squad are fans of Special Olympics.” He then
told his team, “Let’s make mincemeat out of the Agents of Evil.
We need to stop the Agents of Evil from ruining the long jump.”
Captain Zarton said he was going to whisk away the athletes so
they couldn’t get a score in long jump. But Captain Magnus
used his gravity field belt to prevent that from happening.
Captain Magnus told Captain Zarton to surrender and that his
evil days were over. So Captain Zarton left, and the Special
Olympics Summer Games were saved!
Well, I hope you enjoyed this story. I had fun writing it. Have a
wonderful Thanksgiving! Happy holidays to everyone. Ta, ta
for now. This is your fellow athlete—Ben Guffey—signing off!
5
THANK YOU!!
Birthdays
HAPPY BIRTHDAY To Our
Special Athletes and Volunteers!
October
Jameson Baker
Jennifer Banaszak
Chris Beechler
Jennifer Chwastek
Jacob Crane
Haley Cummings
Barb Dela Cruz
Janet Fitrakis
Sue Haremski
Don Krajkiewicz
Laura Lorenzo
Vince Mathews
Tara Moore
Dustin Sutton
Kendall Thiel
Matt Waibel
Andrew Watson
December
Jordan Altenburg
Anthony Arndt
Mike Bagnieski
Grace Cooper
John Donker
Frank How
Hollie Kayden
Tina Kocsis
Mike Logsdon
David McAtee
Tony Peariso
Matt Schieber
David Stickles
Eric Strack
Jon Thiel
Candice Weeks
Patrick Young
6
November
Mary Adams
Jim Baker
Jacob Balcirak
Rick Balcirak
Randy Bedford
Ryan Brugger
Paul Burns
Evan Dagenais
Joe Dopp
Thomas Drout
Ann Gach
Lindsay Haremski
Peaches Harry
Jack Harris
Sharon Hoover
Cheryl Koniecny
Grace Lago
Brandon Lajoice
Laura Lamberton
Nikki Larson
Katie Longstreth
Kevin Moe
Steve Roy
Glen Solberg
Jessica Storey
January
Jenny Adamcik
Grayson Aspiranti
Gilian Bond
Sue Crane
Kirk Cronin
Justin Dyer
Robert Goulette
Mary Kaczynski
Jim Peters
Silas Pitt
Cary Rickel
Dan Romzick
Evan Servinski
Lexy Smith
Louis Thurston
Jim Tiffany
Andrew Tudethout
Trinity Wakeman
Gary Yanna
A special THANK YOU to the following people and
organizations for their generous contributions:
 Phil & Mary Adams
 Irene Agostinelli
 CPI Engineering
 Bill & Eileen Finzel
 Bernadine LeBeau
 Richard & Alice O’Donnell
THANK YOU to Wildfire Credit Union. Their employees
paid to wear jeans to work to support our program. They
had a great response from employees and gave us a
generous donation.
THANK YOU to all the volunteers who assisted with our
various fundraisers held this Fall:
 Law Enforcement Torch Run (September 11)
 T-Shirt Sales (ongoing)
A SPECIAL THANK YOU
By Mary Adams, Area Director
On Wednesday, August 5, my husband and I received the
Family of the Year Award from the ABVM Knights of
Columbus Council #2141. We were very surprised to receive
this prestigious award. In addition to my work with Special
Olympics, my husband served as the Grand Knight for this
council. The Knights of Columbus are very instrumental in
fundraising money for people with Intellectual Disabilities.
In fact, the State Knights of Columbus Council were
awarded the Special Olympics Michigan Board Chair
Award on November 7 for their outstanding fundraising
efforts and support of Special Olympics.
IN REMEMBERANCE
Bette How, a Special Olympics coach and volunteer,
passed away on November 3. Bette’s granddaughter,
Roxy, is a Special Olympics athlete in our program.
Also, her son—Frank–is an active coach, chaperone,
fundraiser, volunteer, and AMT member. In Bette’s
honor, memorial donations have been made to
Special Olympics Midland.
SPECIAL OLYMPICS ATHLETE FORM
Is your Special Olympics form up to date? If
not, an athlete will not be allowed to compete
until the form is current. Forms are available
through Mary Adams; call her @ 832-9443 to
check your form status.
SPOTLIGHT
CHRIS NOEL RECEIVES SPECIAL OLYMPICS MICHIGAN (SOMI)
SPIRIT AWARD — NOVEMBER 2015
When you hear the name “Chris Noel”, a smile comes instantly to your face. Chris always
has a smile, a joke, or an anecdote to tell you. The Noel family is an integral part of our
Special Olympics family. Chris became involved in Special Olympics when his son, Matt,
joined the program in 2008. Chris has been actively involved as a volunteer, cheerleader,
and fundraiser. You’ll see and hear Chris at bocce, basketball, and softball games cheering
on all the members of Matt’s team. Chris is actively involved in many of our fundraisers.
Chris’ greatest involvement has been with our annual Golf Outing, which is our most successful fundraiser. Chris turned a great
fundraiser—the annual Golf Outing—into a lucrative fundraiser!! In 2011, Chris accepted the leadership position that would
grow this fundraiser….from a golf outing with 72 golfers to a fundraiser with 144 golfers! Chris is a natural-born salesman.
Before the golf outing starts, you’ll see Chris selling mulligans, skins, and 50/50 raffle tickets. Before/during/after dinner, Chris
will be recruiting golfers to look at the Silent Auction and make bids. He also sells additional 50/50 tickets during this time.
Chris is a very persuasive individual who doesn’t take “No” for an answer. We’ve made so much money from the Silent
Auction, and it wouldn’t be as successful as it is if it wasn’t for Chris’s efforts.
Through his networking, Chris worked with Steve Calkins to coordinate and produce our 2012 Special Olympics Midland
calendar. This involved securing sponsors that would cover the cost of printing the calendars so that all sales would be returned
to our Area to help pay for sports training and competition. The net return on this investment was ~$7,400! Steve Calkins
recruited his Harley motorcycle friends for this endeavor. Chris and Steve obtained two businesses – Servinski Sod Service and
Quick and Reliable Printing (QRP) – as the major sponsors of the calendar. They also recruited individuals/businesses to each
donate $125 to help with printing and photo costs; their names are displayed in the calendar. The calendar consists of pictures of
athletes and motorcyclists in numerous poses. Because this calendar was such a tremendous success, we produced another
calendar for 2014. This fundraiser raised over $5,200!
Again, being well connected to the community, Chris seized the opportunity to have Special Olympics sell pizzas and drinks @
the 2012 ISO Softball Tournament @ Emerson Park. While volunteers were selling pizzas at the booth, Chris was working the
crowd to sell even more!! We sold Jet’s Pizzas next to other food vendors. We had numerous volunteers sell pizzas for the week,
and we made over $3,000! Jet’s Pizza told Chris that we sold more pizzas in one week than Jet’s sells during the entire fall
soccer season @ the Midland Soccer Complex … what a feat! Chris has established a wonderful relationship with Jet’s Pizza.
In 2010-11, Chris networked with the Northwood University National Auto Show on procuring a booth for Special Olympics. The
Northwood Auto Show is the largest outdoor auto show in North America. SOMI staff and Area 30 volunteers brought an
awareness of Special Olympics to the community. We provided sports pictures, brochures, and information on state and local
events. Although we didn’t have a car to display, we had many visitors inquiring about our program!
Special Olympics is a family affair for the Noel family. Besides Chris, Julie, and Matt, Chris has also recruited his parents - Gene
and Rosemary - as volunteers for our program. They frequently travel from Detroit to Midland to lend their assistance in every
way by volunteering for pizza sales, Bowl-A-Thon, Golf Outing, etc. And wherever Matt is, you will also find his supportive
family...whether it is at bowling, bocce, the softball field, etc.
The Noel’s have brought so much to our Area, not just in financial backing, but in everything they do. At each Special Olympics
event, they take the time to meet and greet everyone with a smile and a hug. They make sure that the athletes are
recognized … and their needs are met … many times buying pop on a hot day, or a slice or two of pizza, or a hot dog or two at
the Memorial Day Bocce picnic. They are so supportive of their son Matt….and of all the athletes and volunteers of Special
Olympics Midland. The Noel family are true friends to Area 30 athletes, families, and volunteers.
Chris is a very charismatic individual who has done so much for our local program. All you have to do is ask, and Chris is willing
to assist in whatever endeavor you ask of him. Both Deb Schultz and Tina Kocsis (our co-fundraising coordinators) love Chris
and greatly appreciate all of his efforts and assistance with various fundraisers. Chris is very humble and won’t take credit for
his humanitarian endeavors. Rather he is effusive in praise of other individual efforts for our program. Chris’ fundraising efforts
has brought a greater community awareness of our program, and we sincerely thank Chris and his family.
Chris has earned the respect and acceptance of persons with intellectual disabilities. He is a wonderful asset to our program
and is a great role model. Chris has had a tremendous, positive impact on our program, and he genuinely represents the
“spirit” and ideals of Special Olympics.
CONGRATULATIONS CHRIS!!
7
COME SHARE THE SPIRIT OF
AREA 30 SPECIAL OLYMPICS
Send information on enrolling athletes in Special Olympics
Send information on volunteering for Special Olympics
Send information on how I can involve my organization
Accept the enclosed tax-deductible contribution
Name:
___________________________________________________________________________
Address: ______________________________________________________________________
Mail to: Area 30 Special Olympics, 5202 Cortland, Midland, MI 48642
or Contact: Mary Adams, Area Director (989)832-9443 / [email protected]