Grant supports Special Olympics heartbeat

It’s a popular annual tournament for athletes and

Summer Games 2006 -- Shot Put Awards (from left to right) Kelly Klein, Valley City; Anita Anton, Dickinson; Jenni Hummel, Fargo; Rachel Krebs, Dickinson; Rochelle Blueshield, Belcourt; Erin Baumann, Grand Forks.

volunteers alike.

Sure, some participants feel a rush when the ball crushes the pins. But others look forward to the dance and social opportunities even more than the spares and strikes.

Thanks in part to additional funding provided by an Operation Round Up grant, courtesy of Capital Electric Cooperative, Special Olympics North Dakota (SOND) will host an opening ceremony, statewide bowling tournament, awards presentation, meal and dance on November 4 and 5 at Midway Lanes in Mandan.

“Bowling is a lifelong sport because people do not have to be physically mobile to participate,” says Kathy Meagher, president and CEO of SOND. “This is a high-cost event and we can’t assess the athletes or their family members to participate. So this grant is greatly appreciated – by our athletes, coaches, volunteers, family members and friends.”

The Special Olympics provide sports training and athletic competition for more than one million children and adults with intellectual disabilities in more than 160 countries worldwide. More than 1,400 athletes and 3,000-plus volunteers participate in North Dakota. Locally, more than 200 athletes and 50 partners contribute.

Partners play along in unified competition in team sports such as bocce, handball, soccer and volleyball. Unified Sports® combine people with and without intellectual disabilities on the same team.

Danielle Ott (back) a Unified Partner from Dickinson, hangs out with Nicole Hanel, a Dickinson athlete at Summer Games in Fargo.

“Unified volleyball consists of three athletes and three special partners, or people without disabilities. I can’t tell you how cool that program is. There’s a lot of magic there,” says Meagher. “The partners boost the athletes’ self-esteem and extend their network of friends and acquaintances. The volunteers can’t say enough about their experience.”

Meagher says there are other advantages as well. Athletes develop physical fitness; demonstrate courage; experience joy; and participate in a sharing of gifts, talents and friendship.

Athletes can compete on five levels: local, area, district, state, national and World Games. There are 15 officials sports including soccer, bocce, bowling, basketball, downhill and cross-country skiing, figure and speed skating, team handball, snow shoeing, swimming, gymnastics, power lifting, volleyball, and track and field.

With all those sports, athletes and opportunities like the state bowling tournament, volunteers are precious. Meagher says 338 volunteers ran the local two-day tourney last year.

“I see the athlete as the heartbeat of the movement, and the volunteer as the blood or support system. The two work together hand in hand,” says Meagher.

“The people we serve appreciate what’s being done for them. It’s always a very positive experience. When people carve out a bit of time to volunteer, it really does make a world of difference.”

The grant money from Operation Round Up will make a difference too, Meagher says.

“I’d like to thank Capital Electric Cooperative for the support they have given us. Without it, we can’t do the things that we’re doing for the people that we serve.”

For more information on how to qualify as an athlete; how to become a coach, partner or volunteer; or how to help raise funds, call the Special Olympics North Dakota at (701) 746-0331 or visit www.specialolympics.org.