We hope you are all enjoying the beautiful days we've been experiencing here in the Capital District Region. We sure have been! If you have not yet had a chance to connect with Leah DeCosta, our new Director of Program for the Capital District Region, she would love to hear from you. Feel free to email her at ldecosta@nyso.org to introduce yourself. You will be seeing and hearing her name more frequently as she continues to transition into her new role. Your feedback, support and years of experience are invaluable to us as we move ahead with the process of regionalization. Thanks for all you do! SONY Capital District Region Program | | 2010 Summer Games Coming to Utica | |  Special Olympics New York has announced that in June of 2010 and 2011 the State Summer Games will be held in Utica. More than 1500 athletes and coaches from across the state will attend the Games, the largest Special Olympics competition held annually. The Games will be held from June 4 to 6 this year. 2000 volunteers will be needed. All events are, as always, free and open to the public. Read more here!
| | Upcoming Events, Competitions, & Community Outreaches | Down Syndrome Support Group - Tri'd and True Friends 1 to 4 pm, Saratoga Bridges, Northway Exit 13 Tri'd and True Friends, a support group for parents of children with Down Syndrome and other special needs, will meet to socialize, celebrate and enjoy adult company and a time for the children to play together. There will be a snack food "potluck". this group is part of the Down Syndrome Aim High Resource Center. For more info or to RSVP, please contact Joni Rhodes at pcjoni@localnet.com or (518) 695-4627. Basketball Training Club - Saratoga County 2 to 3 pm, Skidmore College Athletic Center Downstairs Gym All athletes, volunteers and coaches are welcome. Medicals and consents will be required for ongoing participation. Please contact Coach Sean Finnegan at sfinnegan212@gmail.com for more info. Autism Conference - Parent to Parent NYS "No More Meltdowns: Handling Challenging Behaviors and Teaching Social Skills" Jed Baker, Ph.D. Desmond Hotel & Conference Center, Wolf Road, Albany For detailed conference info and registration form, click here. Super Regional Volleyball Competition The Western Region invites all other regions and areas to participate in Volleyball Team Pairing Games, Team Competition and Skills Competition. This event provides another opportunity for athletes to compete and is a team qualifier to be eligible to compete at State Games! Registration due date is April 26th. To register, contact Shelby Baker at sbaker@nyso.org. Capital Region Summer Games Saturday, May 22, 2010 Shenedehowa Schools, Clifton Park Regional Competitions in Basketball Team and Skills, Volleyball Team and Skills, Athletics (Track & Field), and Aquatics. Please contact Anita Soler at asoler@nyso.org to receive a Delegation Registration packet. Volunteers will be needed on Friday evening May 21st from 5 to 9 pm and for blocks of time throughout the day on Saturday. Click here for more info on volunteering and to download a volunteer registration form. Satins, Silks and Stars Gala Submit Your Event
Don't see your event on the calendar? Let us know about it! Send an email to Anita Soler at asoler@nyso.org with the Event name, date, location and time. We'll see to it that it gets on the calendar and in the newsletter! | | Local Celebrity Supporting SONY! | | The ValleyCats have created an 18-participant Bobblehead Doll Contest to coincide with the upcoming NCAA March Madness Tournament. The contestants include members of the Capital Region's most prominent figures in television, radio, and print media. Each local celebrity got to choose the charity of their choice. If they win, their charity gets $600. John Gray from Fox 23 News has chosen Special Olympics New York. Thanks, John!
Beginning Monday, March 15th, fans will have the opportunity to vote online at www.bobblevote.com or by calling the ValleyCats front office at (518) 629-2287. Each round of voting will last one week until a champion is crowned on April 12th. Voting results will be updated on the ValleyCats website as well as through the Tri-City ValleyCats Facebook and Twitter pages. For more information, please visit www.tcvalleycats.com | | More Volunteer Opportunities | | The SONY Headquarters office in Schenectady is always looking for volunteers to assist us in the behind-the-scenes work that makes what we do possible. Check out our current opportunities to get involved and make a difference: Duties include but may not be limited to general office work, filing, data entry, light phone duty, scanning and faxing documents, and inventory & sorting of supplies. You must be available to volunteer at least 2 hours per week within the hours of Monday through Friday, 9 am to 5 pm. If you would like to set up an interview, please email asoler@nyso.org. MEDALS PROJECT VOLUNTEER Saturday April 17th, from 1 pm to 5 pm Special Olympics NY is looking for volunteers to come to our headquarter offices on Balltown Road in Schenectady to assist us in organizing and taking inventory of our award medals and ribbons. Everyone is welcome. Volunteers under age 16 must be accompanied by an adult. This is an excellent opportunity for families to get involved in something they can do together. To register, please email asoler@nyso.org. | | SONY 40th Anniversary Athlete Art Contest | | Special Olympics NY is please to announce that we will be conducting another art contest to celebrate or 40th Anniversary during State Summer Games. If chosen, the athlete's logo design will be featured on the 2010 State Summer Games T-Shirt to be sold at the merchandise tent during the Games in June. The winner will also receive a personalized SONY jacket. Click here for an athlete entry form. | | Young Athletes Program | |  Young Athletes is an innovative sports play program for children ages 2-7 with intellectual disabilities, designed to introduce them to the world of sports prior to Special Olympics eligibility (age 8). Family members and siblings are welcome too! For more info on the Capital Region Young Athletes program, please contact Cheryl Theriault at cheryl.theriault@hotmail.com or (518) 527-5732.
| | Spread the Word to End the R-Word | | Special Olympics New York's SPREAD THE WORD TO END THE WORD campaign developed from Project UNIFY and the efforts of our youth advocates. This campaign has been created to raise awareness about the hurtful effects of using the word "retarded" to refer to people with intellectual disabilities. Although we have made great progress with educating our youth and communities on the impacts of such language, the change is too slow. Each use of the R-word as a synonym for a stupid action, a schoolyard taunt, or the punch line of a joke, slows our progress immeasurably. To combat the usage of such derogatory language, Special Olympics New York is recognizing March as its awareness month for SPREAD THE WORD TO END THE WORD, with March 3rd being the official statewide kick off. Throughout the month, youth and friends of our global movement will be hosting rallies and encouraging members of their communities to take the pledge to stop using the "R-word" in a deeming manner. The New York pledge and more information on events occurring throughout the state can be found at http://www.nyso.org/spreadtheword.php. | | Officials Needed for 2011 World Games | | Special Olympics International is requesting applications for volunteer sport officials for the 2011 Special Olympics World Summer Games in Athens, Greece, June 25th to July 4th, 2011. The following sport competitions will be conducted for 7,000 athletes around the world.
Aquatics Judo Powerlifting Athletics Rollerskating Sailing Badminton Table Tennis Basketball Bocce Bowling Volleyball Cycling Equestrian Soccer(Football) Golf Gymnastics Kayaking Softball Handball Tennis Beach Volleyball
International and/or National Sport Federation Officials' Certification, if issued by the sport, and/or Special Olympics officiating experience is required for all applicants for officials' assignments at the 2011 World Summer Games. The majority of the competition technical officials will be recruited, trained and selected from the host country. However, expenses associated with airfare, accommodations, ground transportation and meals will be provided for only a limited number of selected officials from Programs outside of Greece and Special Olympics athletes participating as qualified officials (SOOPA) and their mentors.
Application forms can be downloaded here. The application form must be received no later than April 1, 2010. The processing of application forms will begin immediately, thereafter.
Submit completed applications and supplemental documentation via email to Worldgamesofficials@specialolympics.org
An auto response from this email address will confirm receipt of the application. | | Capital District Website |  Did you know that SONY Capital District has its own website? This website contains headlines about the Capital District, a full calendar of events, and news about the regional transition. The website can be found by clicking here.
| | Donate Online | | 
Did you know that during any given day, all year round, and at no cost to athletes, families, or caregivers, people are experiencing Special Olympics New York?
Your donation empowers athletes by providing year-round training and competition opportunities, but it doesn't stop there. Special Olympics has an impact on every single person who witnesses an athlete in action. Our athletes teach the world a new way of thinking about people who are different. These new attitudes are helping to create a more accepting, joyful world for us all.
| | About this Report | | You have been included on this report because you are either a coach or volunteer for the Capital District, or have expressed an interest in becoming a coach or volunteer. This report is meant to provide information to all coaches and volunteers in the Capital District. Is there a feature you'd like to see? Let us know! Contact Anita Soler by e-mail at asoler@nyso.org or by phone at 518-388-0790 x115. |
| | Thank you for your participation in SONY Capital District. Special Olympics is a grassroots organization that relies on the support of a talented, involved volunteer network in order to serve our athletes. Special Olympics New York |
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| | | Featured Article | | NEED HELP PURCHASING ADAPTIVE SPORTS EQUIPMENT? | The Colburn National Foundation is offering a wonderful opportunity to Special Olympics athletes through age 21. The Colburn Foundation's goal is to assist children with disabilities up to and including age 21 and their families through direct support or supporting organizations. If your child is in need of adaptive equipment to better facilitate their participation in any of our sport programs, please contact Susan Koppi at (518) 226-0252. For more info on The Colburn National Foundation click here. |
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