Special Olympics B.C. January 2015 Newsletter

January 2015 Newsletter

Special Olympics BC figure skaters at the 2011 SOBC Ice Sport Championships

Countdown is on to the 2015 SOBC Winter Games

2015 Special Olympics BC Winter Games logo

Just three weeks to go until the 2015 Special Olympics BC Winter Games kick off in Kamloops! From February 19 to 22, more than 700 athletes and coaches from all over B.C. and the Yukon will come together in Canada’s Tournament Capital and go for gold in seven sports, representing their Regions with pride.

Photos and results will be posted daily from the Games and social media coverage will be ongoing, so stay tuned to sobcgameskamloops.ca and SOBC’s Facebook and Twitter accounts and get ready to cheer on these inspiring athletes!

>> Games website

>> Volunteer info

>> Schedules

>> Families & Fans info

>> Merchandise

>> Sponsors

Raising awareness at World Outlook Financial Conference

World Outlook Financial Conference logo

The World Outlook Financial Conference offers first-rate financial insights and a great chance for Special Olympics BC to raise awareness.

Since 1990, the WOFC has been bringing together top-quality financial analysts together with sophisticated Canadian investors to share world-class information and analysis. The conference will include a fascinating assortment of industry panels and heated debates.

We are grateful that SOBC will once again have a presence at the 2015 conference on January 30 and 31 in Vancouver, accepting donations from attendees and sharing stories of our athletes and programs.

Our thanks to conference founder Michael Campbell for the WOFC’s amazing support of Special Olympics.

>> Learn more

LETR Final Leg to kick off 2015 Provincial Games

It’s almost time for law enforcement members to lace up for the BC Law Enforcement Torch Run Final Leg that will help kick off the 2015 Special Olympics BC Winter Games in Kamloops!

On Thursday, February 19, members of various law enforcement agencies from across B.C. will come together on a three-kilometre run carrying the Flame of Hope through the streets of Kamloops and into the Games Opening Ceremony.

The Flame of Hope will be used to light the Games cauldron in a grand tradition, signalling the start of competition.

Law enforcement members are welcome to register for the Final Leg. There is no cost to join in. Please visit the BC LETR site for more information and to register.

Draft an Athlete for the 2015 Provincial Games

SOBC - Kelowna cross-country skier Neil Melesko

Help give Special Olympics athletes from across B.C. the life-changing experience of competing in the 2015 SOBC Winter Games by Drafting an Athlete!

Provincial Games are exciting and empowering experiences. It’s impossible to see Special Olympics Games and not be inspired by the sportsmanship, determination, abilities, and joy of the athletes and their dedicated volunteer coaches.

>> Learn more and donate

New video resources for SOBC coaches

SOBC Provincial Coaching Summit nutrition presentation

Coaches, check out valuable presentations from the Special Olympics BC Provincial Coaching Summit in these videos produced by ViaSport British Columbia.

The videos cover key concepts in nutrition, mental performance training, effective training, coach development and planning, video technology, and functional testing.

Looking for more coaching and athlete resources? Visit the expanded resources section of the SOBC website.

>> Watch now

>> Read the Coaching Summit recap

SOBC figure skaters set to hit the ice in the Canada Winter Games

SOBC skaters and coaches going to the 2015 Canada Games

When the 2015 Canada Winter Games hit Prince George in February, four Special Olympics BC figure skaters and two coaches will be part of Team BC representing their province with pride. The group trained together last week in Burnaby (pictured at right) and the athletes are set to compete during the second week of the Canada Games (February 22 to March 1). Join us in cheering them on!

Check out livestreaming of the figure skating events on the Canada Games portal (click here for the webcast schedule). Enjoy more Canada Games coverage on TSN and in the online feature show Canada Games Today: Powered by ViaSport.

There’s another Canada Games connection for SOBC athletes: When the Team BC male U16 hockey squad came together in Richmond for their own December training camp building toward the Canada Games, a memorable matchup with the SOBC – Richmond floor hockey team was an exciting part of the action. Read more

2015 anniversary celebrations for SOBC and Locals

SOBC logo

2015 is an especially exciting year: It’s the Year of Sport in Canada, the year of the Special Olympics BC Winter Games in Kamloops and the Special Olympics World Summer Games in Los Angeles, and the 35th anniversary of Special Olympics BC! We’ll be celebrating all year long and launched a series of anniversary stories this week.

We’re also delighted to wish happy birthday to the SOBC Locals marking anniversary celebrations in 2015! SOBC is so fortunate to have incredible athletes and volunteers in 57 communities around the province, and we are continually amazed by the long-standing volunteer dedication that makes programs possible all over B.C. Thank you all!

Skill-building on snow and in the gym with Performance Program

The end of 2014 saw the Special Olympics BC Performance Program expand into snow sports and powerlifting, bringing together athletes and coaches from around the province for on-snow action in Kamloops and powerlifting development in Richmond. Great participants and experts made these opportunities outstanding!

SOBC alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, and snowshoeing athletes and coaches from all over the province headed to Sun Peaks Resort in early December to participate in the first on-snow Performance Program snow sports training camp, held at the venue for the 2015 SOBC Winter Games snow sports competitions. The camp involved sport-specific training and sessions in key performance areas such as mental training, nutrition, and creation of training plans.

>> Read more

Spreading the word to end the R-word

r-word.org

On March 4, Special Olympics BC will join people around the world in celebrating the annual Spread the Word to End the Word™ awareness day. The campaign is an ongoing effort by Special Olympics, Best Buddies, and our supporters to raise the consciousness of society about the dehumanizing and hurtful effects of the R-word and encourage people to pledge to stop using the word.

Respectful and inclusive language is essential to the movement for the dignity and humanity of people with intellectual disabilities. However, too many people still don’t recognize the hurtful and dehumanizing effects of the R-word. Language affects attitudes. Attitudes impact actions. Read more stories and see the pledges at r-word.org.

There will be plenty of amazing awareness opportunities and stories shared on and around March 4. SOBC – Prince George will be spreading the word to end the word this Friday at the University of Northern British Columbia Timberwolves men’s basketball game, where their athletes will play at halftime and advocated ending the R-word. And our friends Vancouver Whitecaps FC will feature SOBC and the R-word campaign in their exciting home opener on March 7. Stay tuned to SOBC’s website and Facebook and Twitter accounts for coverage, and remember to spread the word to end the word in your own community!

Spotlight on new opportunity for Surrey youth

Soccer program

Special Olympics BC – Surrey offers many sport and youth programs with amazing athletes and lots of activity. One example of an area of growth involves Sport Start programming for youth with intellectual disabilities ages 12 to 18, including a new program that just launched in January. The Surrey FC All-Stars are running a Surrey FC Adapted Soccer program supported by Special Olympics BC to offer new opportunities to help youth with intellectual disabilities learn sport and life skills.

To find out more and learn how you can get involved, please contact Shawn Fevens, SOBC Manager, Sport, by e-mail or by phone at .

Chance for schools to win with Staples Eco Contest

Staples Superpower Your School

Our friends at Staples Canada are presenting an exciting opportunity for environmentally conscious schools across Canada to enter for a chance to win $25,000 worth of technology. A total of 10 publicly funded schools across the country will each win $25,000 worth of new technology from Staples. Check out the Superpower Your School contest and encourage your local community members to enter by January 31!

SOBC staff update

SOBC partial logo

Special Olympics BC is very pleased to welcome new Fundraising Coordinator Lison Daubigeon, who joined the team in January. Most recently Lison has been interning in the Donor Relations office at Ecojustice Vancouver and worked at the Nkwa Foundation in Cape Coast, Ghana, where she was the Recruitment and Program Coordinator. We are also delighted to have Charlotte Taylor, Manager, Fund Development, staying with SOBC long-term. Courtenay Wood and Jasmine Allen will not be returning from maternity leave, and we wish them all the very best.

Our fond wishes also go with Kristin Webster, Manager, Community Development with Regions 7 & 8, as she has moved on to another opportunity in Vanderhoof. We look forward to welcoming a new Manager, Community Development, for our northern B.C. Regions very soon.

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