Special Olympics West Hawaii

Bocce (pronounced BAH-chee) is a lawn bowling game that really gets the Special Olympics West Hawaii team rolling. This low-impact sport is easy to learn and, of course, delightful to play.

Longtime volunteer Nikki Cleintuar attended a recent SOWH bocce practice and took the images below. The team is preparing for the 2008 Aukake Classic, which take place August 16 and 17 in Oahu’s Waiau District Park.

Head Coach Lona Warner measures the distance between the pallina and the player’s balls to determine the winner of the round.

SOWH athlete and bocce player Amy Aguiar (right) hangs out with her unified partner K.C. Strand (right).

A veteran athlete of many SOWH sports, Duke Kaawa is ready to try bocce along with his new unified partner Doreen Parker. Duke and Doreen are also Hula Halau Makanani dancers.

For several years, Kelly Yonemura has been an inspiring unified bowling partner for SOWH, regularly averaging more than 200 points per game. In his rookie season on the bocce court, he is still firing up his teammates with his great competitive spirit and enthusiasm.

Les Lund is a unified partner, coaching assistant and dedicated volunteer. He looks very serious as he follows through on his toss. But winning thegame is only secondary to this man-of-many-hats who spends countless hours helping athletes become winners in life.

Ray Kealoha Donager has been involved with Special Olympics for more than 20 years. In 2007, he traveled to China to compete as a powerlifter in the Special Olympics World Games. He returned with no less than four gold medals. Ray is trying bocce for the first time. He is fitting practice into an already busy schedule which includes a full-time job, dancing hula and gardening on the weekends.

SOWH athlete and bocce player Michael Tom Makanui (right) waits his turn as his unified partner and dad Bob Makanui (left) takes his best shot.