Dana Wilkes Subject: FW: January News from Special Olympics Oklahoma Thank you for your donations! We're not Teezin'...We're Freezin' for Special Olympics Oklahoma 1 2015 Polar Plunge Registration Now Open January 31 Bartlesville February 7 McAlester, Durant and Stillwater February 14 Norman, Poteau February 18 NSU February 21 Enid, Lawton, Tahlequah June 25 - August 2 February 27 Super Plunge February 28 Oklahoma City, Tulsa March 7 Pauls Valley You'll be Freezin' for a Reason when you jump or run into a freezing cold body of water to raise funds for more then 10,500 Special Olympics Oklahoma athletes across the state. Gather your friends, family and co-workers and sign up today to join us at one of the 15 Polar Plunges. 19th Annual Winter Games January 8-10, 2015 Very cold, but clear weather Fantastic competitions Wonderful venues Happy athletes, coaches & families Outstanding venue directors & quality volunteers Super fun dance Good food / good fun / good friends That pretty well sums up the 2015 Special Olympics Oklahoma Winter Games! All the successes are due to the dedication and commitment from everyone involved. In 1996, when we hosted our very first Winter Games. We started the Games with just 1,200 athletes. It was a new concept, and we 2 Heartland Winter Games January 2015 12 Special Olympics Oklahoma athletes were invitied to compete at the John Cassidy Heartland Winter Games in Weston, Missouri. The athletes had a wonderful experience and brought home multiple medals and ribbons. Congratulations Becky Gross, Heather Sossamon, Cynthia Newton, Erin Henke, Amy Wollmershauser, Cody Shelton, Chris Paynter, Al Talley, Nathan Putman, Greg Ashworth, Steve Lynn and Steve Harvey. Thank you to our wonderful coaches for making Heartland Games a success. wondered how it would be accepted. Nineteen years after that initial Winter Games, 2,292 athletes and partners competed in 2015. We are happy that the Winter Games are a smashing success and a popular destination for more and more athletes each year! Photos from the 2015 Special Olympics Oklahoma Winter Games. A special thank you to the volunteers and staff at Oklahoma City Community College, The University of Oklahoma Huston Huffman Center, AMF Boulevard Bowl, Holiday Lanes, Penn 44, AMF Windsor, Fire Lake, Planet Bowl and Heritage Lanes. We also wish to thank Journey Church, Norman for welcoming more than 1,000 attendees to the Victory Celebration and Dance. Kacie Pettijohn receives the Stacie Shipman Youth Volunteer Award at the Special Olympics Oklahoma Winter Games Victory Celebration. Kacie attends the University of Central Oklahoma and has volunteered Donna Shipman, Garrett and Kacie Pettijohn with Special and Larry Shipman Olympics Oklahoma for 7 years. She is a Unified Partner and Assistant Coach for the Heart of Oklahoma Team. Kacie has supported her brother Garrett as he has competed in Bowling and Athletic events each year. "Kacie exemplifies all of the qualities that honor the memory of Stacie, our daughter," said Larry Shipman. Aquatics competition at OCCC Basketball competition at OU Huston Huffman Bowling at numerous bowling venues Volleyall competition at OU Huston 3 Hardesty Family Foundation The Hardesty Family Foundation was established in 2005 by Roger and Donna Hardesty. Roger and Donna sacrificed to get where they are today so it is with that pioneering spirit that they created the Hardesty Family Foundation. They believe strongly in the American dream of hard work and tenacity and like to support projects that share their belief system, “if you can dream, you can achieve.” Huffman Olympic Town at OU Huston Huffman The Hardesty Family Foundation has supported Special Olympics Oklahoma since 2007. Their most recent gift was in honor of Ismael Renteria, a Special Olympics athlete very close to their family. They believe that his experience in Special Olympics has allowed him to excel in school and find his way to employment opportunities. Ismael is a 17-year-old senior at Union High School, in Tulsa. He enjoys playing soccer and going to school. Bocce is his favorite sport at Summer Games. Special Olympics gave him an opportunity to compete in many different activities that have given him the confidence and pride that he needed. Seeing the huge smile on his face as he was awarded his medals after competing in Summer Games is a memory his mom will never forget! He is very proud of the medals he’s earned and loves to show them off to family and friends. This is amazing because, due to his Autism, he typically doesn’t express much emotion. The Special Olympics experience has not only given him opportunities to meet new friends but has also allowed his family to connect with so many families in similar situations. After graduation, Ismael will continue to work for A New Leaf, a workstudy program he started as a senior at Union. Special Olympics has helped him grow as a person so he is better equipped to succeed in the working world. Ismael plans to continue participating in Special Olympics with Team Tulsa after his graduation. Thank you Hardesty Family Foundation for your continued support. You can learn more about the Hardesty Family Foundation at http://www.hardestyfamilyfoundation.org/about.html. 4 Young Athletes Stars of the Future at OU Huston Huffman SAVE THE DATE January 31, 2015 Bartlesville Polar Plunge February 7, 2015 Durant, McAlester and Stillwater Polar Plunges February 14, 2015 Norman and Poteau Polar Plunges February 18, 2015 NSU Polar Plunge February 21, 2015 Lawton, Tahlequah Polar Plunges February 28, 2015 Barons Special Olympics Oklahoma Night and Jersey Auction night OKC and Tulsa Polar Plunges 2014 ANNUAL REPORT The 2014 Annual Report is now available to view online. March 7, 2015 Pauls Valley (Fun Country) Polar Plunge March 14, 2015 St. Patrick's 5K Run in Tulsa AND O'Connell's St. Patrick's 8K Run in Norman Share this email: Manage your preferences | Opt out using TrueRemove™ Got this as a forward? Sign up to receive our future emails. View this email online. 6835 S. Canton Ave. Tulsa, OK | 74136 US This email was sent to [email protected]. 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