Special Olympics West Hawaii

In the Sept. 18 edition of the Honolulu Advertiser, there was an Editorial about the state Department of Education needing to stand firm in its decision to reinstate the funding for Special Olympics Hawaii and the newspaper is asking the public to vote on the issue.

Nip Ho, vice president of Area Services for Special Olympics Hawaii, is urging everyone to visit www.honoluluadvertiser.com/opinion and vote YES to the following question: Should the Board of Education restore funding for Special Olympics.

“In the Editorial it talks about a grant that SOI has for Youth Programs, Special Olympics Hawaii has already received this grant which is helping to pay for our Sports Day and Unified Programs. The money that they speak of has already been placed into our budget for this fiscal year and cannot be reallocated to cover the shortfall from the DOE,” Ho said. “There is no way that Special Olympics Hawaii will be able to find new ways of raising money in the year 2008 and we will struggle to develop a method to raise an additional $130,000 for 2009.”

With the support of the many family and friends of Special Olympics, Ho hopes to change the course of the BOE and that our “public outcry” will make a difference. He thanked everyone for their continued support and dedication to the athletes of this program.

For more information about this issue and Special Olympics Hawaii, contact Ho at program@specialolympicshawaii.org or 943-8808 ext. 23.

Lawrence Clark Powell once said, “Write to be understood, speak to be heard.” Anyone who would like to personally urge the BOE to reinstate the funding or express their concerns about its actions can send a letter to P.O. Box 2360, Honolulu, HI 96804. The BOE can also be reached via e-mail at BOE_Hawaii@notes.k12.hi.us, by fax at 586-3433 or by phone at 586-3349.

Brad Ballesteros, West Hawaii Today freelance photographer, took the following fabulous photos, featuring Special Olympics volunteers, athletes, police officers and donors at the annual Cop on Top fundraiser Thursday, Sept. 18, 2008. Brad gave his permission, allowing SOWH to use his images and captions on this blog. He hopes you truly enjoy his work.

Mike Oshiro, a Captain Cook resident, writes out a check to the Special Olympics at the Cop on Top event at Kona Safeway as Barbara Bach looks on. The event will continue till Saturday.

Sgt. Rollin Rabarra, Lt. Sam Kawamoto and Sgt Walter Ah Mow, all of the Kona Police Department, atop their perch fronting the Kona Safeway. They are working to collect donations for the Special Olympics West Hawaii.

Deborah Montrond, a Kailua-Kona resident, opens up her wallet to help the Special Olympics West Hawaii as athlete Kelly Yonemura helped out with the collection.

Sgts. Walter Ah Mow and Rollin Rabarra, of the Kona Police Department, are in high spirits as they start their three-day Cop on Top stint atop a platform in front of the Kona Safeway.

Nancy Pursley collects donations for the Special Olympics West Hawaii from people on the street fronting the Kona Safeway.

From left to right are Sgt Rollin Rabarra, Sgt Sean Smith, Lt. Sam Kawamoto and Sgt Walter Ah Mow, who sat atop of their Cop on Top perch fronting the Kona Safeway for three days and raised money for Special Olympics West Hawaii.

Lt. Sam Kawamoto, of the Kona Police Department, pulls up a bucket of donations after Nancy Pursley collected the money from the community shopping at the Kona Safeway or nearby.

Lt. Sam Kawamoto, of Kona Police Department, smiles as he pulls up a bucket that is full of donations collected for the Special Olympics West Hawaii.

GOT MORE PHOTOS OF COP ON TOP? If you would like to share your photos of the three-day fundraiser on the Special Olympics West Hawaii blog, send Carolyn Lucas, online communications director, an e-mail to specialolympics.westhawaii@gmail.com.

West Hawaii Today reporter and universal desk person Kim Eaton wrote an awesome article, published Friday, Sept. 19, 2008, detailing the happenings at the Cop on Top fundraiser for Special Olympics. In it, readers learn why residents chose to help the nonprofit organization, what that participation means to all involved, what the donations are used for and the best part of the fundraiser.

Here is an excerpt:

Every year in September, Rabara, along with fellow officers Detective Walter Ah Mow, Detective Sean Smith and, joining them this year, Lt. Sam Kawamoto, spend three days eating, sleeping and camping out atop 20 feet of scaffolding in front of Safeway in the Crossroads Center. Their purpose: to raise money for Special Olympics West Hawaii.

With music pumping in the background, the four law enforcement officers shouted out to customers passing by, encouraging them to donate, talking story and having a good time, while Special Olympics volunteers and athletes stood below with buckets collecting those donations, handing out balloons to keiki and providing general information to those interested.

Rabara, Ah Mow, Smith and Kawamoto will remain on the scaffold until 2 p.m. Saturday, vowing they will reach their goal of $15,000.

“I know times are hard right now, but we have a very supportive community,” Ah Mow said. “I think we’ll make (the goal).”

Kawamoto has helped out with Cop on Top since it began in Kona five years ago, but this is the first year he was able to get vacation days so he can stay all night with the other officers.

“It’s a great cause,” he said. “I do it for the athletes, to help out Walter (Ah Mow) and represent the police department. The athletes are great. You should see them when the music starts rocking.”

Also accompanying the article are wonderful photos taken by West Hawaii Today freelance photographer Brad Ballesteros. He captured some great photos of the police officers, donors, volunteers and the SOWH athletes.

To see the images and read the article, click here. Or, visit www.westhawaiitoday.com and search the archives.

Special Olympics West Hawaii is hosting a meeting about the upcoming Cop on Top program.

Volunteer KC Strand will discuss how people can participate by volunteering to serve various shifts. She will also answer questions about the annual three-day fundraiser.

The meeting promptly begins at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 16, at the Kona International Marketplace. For more information or to sign-up, contact Strand at zionvideos@yahoo.com.

“Please join us. We still need lots of volunteers, but it’s looking like we are going to a blast during this event,” Strand said. “I also want to thank all those who have e-mailed or called to sign up.”

Participants — SOWH athletes, coaches, volunteers, family members and friends — will ask for donations, express gratitude, man the information table and pass out balloons.

“If you can only do one Special Olympics fundraiser a year, please, please, please make this the one,” said Area Director Dave Ross. “Better yet, grab a friend or co-worker to help out.”

Cop on Top benefits Special Olympics West Hawaii. Starting at 6 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 18, local police officers sit atop of a scaffold in front of Safeway, located at 75-1027 Henry St. in Kailua-Kona. They will increase awareness of Special Olympics, as well as collect donations from customers and the public. Until 10 p.m. Sept. 20, the police officers will eat, sleep, play and encourage contributions on the scaffold.

Customers that purchase select Meadow Gold or Viva products at any Safeway store through Sept. 20 also help raise money Special Olympics Hawaii.

“This is a very important fundraiser for SOWH because it has regularly generated 50 percent of this organization’s yearly operating budget,” Ross said.

Sign-ups are now underway for the Special Olympics West Hawaii basketball, bocce and bowling leagues. Participants will learn teamwork and skills of relating to the games. Everyone is welcomed, including athletes, unified partners, volunteers and coaches.

Basketball is bouncing its way into the season, which kicks off Thursday, Sept. 25. Practices will be held at 4 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays in the Old Kona Airport gym.

Bowling begins Sunday, Sept. 28. Practice will occur at 10 a.m. Sundays at Kona Bowl, located at 75-5591 Palani Rd. in Kailua-Kona. Mandatory bowling for SOWH athletes will take place on Saturday, Oct. 18, in Hilo and Sunday, Oct. 26, in Kona. Unified partners are also required to be present Sunday, Oct. 26, in Kona.

All SOWH athletes and unified partners will compete the Holiday Classic at both Hickam Air Force Base and the Kaneohe Bay Marine Corps Base. This event is from Friday, Dec. 5, to Sunday, Dec. 7. It includes a multi-divison basketball tournament and Individual Skills Competition, Singles, Doubles and Unified Team Bowling competitions, and traditional and unified Doubles Bocce tournaments.

“Everyone is welcomed, but you can only participate in one sport for the state games,” said Lona Warner, SOWH head of delegation. “If you cannot be there for all these dates, do not sign up. Bocce will be determined as soon as we find out how many athletes and unified partners are interested in the sports. Please call me as soon as possible.”

To get involved with the SOWH bowling, bocce and basketball leagues, contact Warner at 327-0491, 989-2080 or biglona@hotmail.com.