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November 2018 Newsletter
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Change a life this Giving Tuesday
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Today is Giving Tuesday! After the Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales, Giving Tuesday is a movement dedicated to giving back. You are invited to give a gift that changes lives by supporting Special Olympics BC!
Give time
When you give the gift of time as a volunteer, you make Special Olympics BC programs possible. Whether you can give a few hours at an event or want to get involved weekly, we have a position for you. You can become a coach, assistant coach, or program volunteer, join a Local Committee, and/or volunteer at an event.
Find out more
Support athletes
Donations to Special Olympics BC help provide vital funds for life-changing sport, health, and leadership programs for athletes with intellectual disabilities. These important programs help empower athletes to enrich their lives every day across the province!
Donate now
We are grateful to all who will consider supporting SOBC this Giving Tuesday and in this holiday season. Thank you for spreading the word!
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Volunteers enjoy ‘fantastic, inspiring’ experience at SOBC Leadership Summit
More than 100 leaders from across the province came together for a weekend of inspiring speakers and networking opportunities at the 2018 Special Olympics BC Leadership Summit in Richmond.
The summit brought together a knowledgeable, enthusiastic group that included SOBC athletes, members of the Board of Directors, staff, and volunteers representing 46 Locals.
SOBC – Burns Lake Local Coordinator Gloria Brown said she learned a lot from presenters and other volunteers at the summit.
“It was fantastic, inspiring – loved it!” she said.
>> Read more
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Faceoffs and fundraising with the BC LETR
Treat yourself to some exciting hockey this holiday season and support Special Olympics BC with the BC Law Enforcement Torch Run.
On December 16, you could be there cheering in the stands as the Vancouver Giants go head to head with the Prince George Cougars at the Langley Events Centre starting at 4 p.m. A portion from every ticket sold through the Delta Police Department will benefit SOBC. Delta Police Department members will also be teaming up with SOBC athletes to sell 50/50 tickets at this BC LETR fundraiser.
To purchase tickets, please contact Constable Jeremy Pearce at jpearce@deltapolice.ca.
On Vancouver Island, you can help local law enforcement members support SOBC by taking part in the chuck-a-puck event at the Victoria Royals game on December 14 at 7 p.m.
For more information contact Charlotte Taylor, Fund Development Manager and LETR Liasion, at ctaylor@specialolympics.bc.ca or call 604-737-3056 / 1-888-854-2277 toll-free.
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Online volunteer registration for 2019 Special Olympics BC Winter Games in full swing
Online registration for volunteers for the 2019 Special Olympics BC Winter Games in Greater Vernon is underway.
More than 1,000 volunteers will be needed for what will be the largest SOBC Winter Games to date, which will run from February 21 to 23 in Greater Vernon. More than 800 athletes from all over the province and the Yukon will be competing in eight sports.
Volunteer registration will also be available at the 2019 SOBC Winter Games office, located at VantageOne Credit Union, 3108 33 Avenue.
Entrance to the office is at the VantageOne Leasing entrance, located on 31st Street in Vernon.
Volunteers will be needed for a wide range of areas, including the Opening and Closing Ceremony, logistics, media, transportation, and sporting events.
>> Click here to register
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Melesko enters Central Okanagan Sport Hall of Fame
Special Olympic BC – Kelowna athlete Tracey Melesko is one of the newest members of the Central Okanagan Sports Hall of Fame.
Melesko was one of six inductees at the 2018 induction ceremony on November 22 and is the first Special Olympics athlete to enter the Hall of Fame.
Melesko was also the first athlete inducted into the SOBC Hall of Fame in 2000.
The Central Okanagan Sports Hall of Fame celebrates the athletes, coaches, and builders whose accomplishments have made them a part of history in the Central Okanagan.
>> Read more
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Celebrating #50moments of Special Olympics
As we celebrate the 50th anniversary of Special Olympics this year, we are taking a look back at the #50moments that have defined the Special Olympics movement here in B.C. and throughout the world.
Check out the latest #50moments:
Make sure to check our social media channels and website every week for the latest instalment and share the joy and inspiration that helped define the last 50 years of Special Olympics.
>> Click here for more stories
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SOBC’s Team Canada thinking of sun and gold this winter
In a time where snow and cold weather blanket the province, 11 Special Olympics BC athletes have sun and the colour gold on their minds.
The 2019 Special Olympics World Summer Games take place in Abu Dhabi from March 14 to 21, and for the 11 SOBC athletes selected to Special Olympics Team Canada, winter is going to have to take a back seat as they set their sights on their upcoming international competition.
Genny Verge of SOBC – Sunshine Coast had a strong showing at the 2018 Special Olympics Canada Summer Games in Antigonish, Nova Scotia and was named to Team Canada. She said being chosen to represent her country on the world stage means the world to her.
“To be chosen as an athlete representing Canada was a shock, an honour, a proud moment for all my accomplishments, it is a dream come true,” said Verge, who will compete in swimming.
>> Read more
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Coaches build skills and relationships through Performance Program camps
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Special Olympics BC athletes and coaches from across the province came together to elevate their performance at SOBC’s Figure Skating Performance Camp on October 13 and 14. The camp in Coquitlam covered a variety of topics, including on-ice drills, dryland training, and mental preparation.
SOBC – Vancouver figure skating coach Jessica Chapelski participated in the event, and says Performance Program camps play a valuable role in helping coaches develop their skills.
“It’s so beneficial to coaches to be able to get together and share ideas, to be able to hear how other people are coaching and working with their athletes, and just to be inspired to work with our athletes in different ways,” Chapelski says.
SOBC’s Performance Program is a long-term plan with the goal of enhancing the skills and performance of coaches, and through them all SOBC athletes. The program is not just for elite athletes – it’s for coaches who are open to new training techniques, and athletes who are committed to training. Participating coaches and athletes take the skills they learn back to their local programs to benefit all athletes, not just a few.
>> Read more
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SOBC student-athletes look to build on success of 3-on-3 basketball tournament
For the past two years, basketball has grown to include students who have found themselves on the sidelines. Now, the Special Olympics BC Vancouver Island 3-on-3 Basketball Tournament comes complete with packed stands, high-fives, and smiles brimming from ear-to-ear.
With a new season just around the corner, players and coaches are excited to build on the success the tournament by continuing to foster a culture of inclusion and respect within the school walls.
Quin Clothier, a Ballenas Secondary student who took part in the 2018 tournament said he was excited to be able to tell his fellow students he played school sports. Pulling on the school jersey and playing in front of a packed house allowed Clothier the opportunity to feel like he belonged.
“I felt like I was finally doing something for my school,” Clothier said. “I was so determined to play my best game that I just blocked the crowd out.”
>> Read more
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Training guidelines to help you with four winter sports
By Jacques Thibault, Special Olympics BC Sport Consultant
Jacques Thibault, an internationally recognized training and speed skating expert with a Master’s degree in science, works with Special Olympics BC athletes and coaches to help empower them to be their very best.
The 2019 Special Olympics BC Winter Games in Greater Vernon are fast approaching. Many athletes have already started their training well before the snow fell on the ground.
Snowshoeing athletes used snowshoes on grass and sandy beaches, cross country skiers used roller skis, speed skaters trained both on and off the ice, and alpine skiers had off-snow training exercises.
Now that the cold weather is here, it is time to look at training guidelines to improve basic skills and competition results. This month, I am presenting some training guidelines in four different winter sports: Cross country skiing, snowshoeing, speed skating, and alpine skiing.
>> Read more
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3701 Hastings St., Unit 210
Burnaby, B.C. V5C 2H6
Toll-free: 1-888-854-2276
info@specialolympics.bc.ca
www.specialolympics.bc.ca
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