Special Olympics West Hawaii

Special Olympics West Hawaii meets at 6 p.m. Monday, Dec. 1, at the Kona International Market Place. Among the topics to be covered are the Holiday Classic on Oahu, Spring sports, volunteer opportunities and the 2009 kick off barbecue. There will be time for questions and answers with SOWH Area Director Dave Ross.

SOWH produces a year-round program of sports training and competitions for individuals with intellectual disabilities. Participants in these leagues learn teamwork and skills pertaining to the games. Everyone is welcomed, including athletes, unified partners, volunteers and coaches.

For more information about the upcoming meeting, contact KC Strand, SOWH volunteer coordinator, via e-mail at zionvideos@yahoo.com.

Special Olympics West Hawaii is helping Outback Steak House with its aid station for the 2008 Ford Ironman World Championship Saturday, Oct. 11.

Volunteers are needed to hand out drinks, sun block, snacks, etc . They will also maintain the area in a clean presentable manner.

This is an all-day event with two separate shifts (either 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. or 2 to 6 p.m.). SOWH does not encourage any one person to participate in both shifts. In addition to the shifts, there is a need for a few people with trucks are needed Friday night, as well as a five people to set up Saturday morning. Please send KC Strand an e-mail with 1) when you can help with, 2) the number of people in your group, 3) the size and number of shirt(s) you will need and 4) the best way to contact you.

SOWH and Outback are seeking 50 to 70 volunteers. Parking will be VERY limited at approximately 30 spaces. Carpooling is being requested.

Contact Strand at zionvideos@yahoo.com for more details and to sign up.

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.

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.

HUG A TREE — or at least help plant one.

Special Olympics West Hawaii is helping reforest a native dryland forest, by planting trees from 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Sunday, Sept. 14, at the West Hawaii Veterans Cemetery. Volunteers are needed in this effort.

Earlier this year, SOWH participated in a planting day, which athletes and volunteers concurred it was a great time. Those who helped last time are excited to see the results of their previous hard work.

Whether this planting day is your first or 10th, join SOWH as it helps give back to the community who supports its year-round program of sports training and competitions for individuals with intellectual disabilities.

For more information or to sign-up, contact SOWH Area Director Dave Ross at 808-345-1344 or sowhdave@yahoo.com.

“Somewhere, sometime, the leader within each of us may get the call to step forward.”
James M. Kouzes and Barry Z. Posner

Special Olympics West Hawaii is continuing to grow stronger each season.

However, Area Director Dave Ross insists that the program’s continued success depends on its dedication and hard work towards athletes, the community and its volunteers.

There are several vital roles volunteers can fill in addition to the coaching staff, unified partners and event volunteers.

Each Special Olympics chapter is supposed to have a management team in place to oversee all aspects. SOWH needs a volunteer coordinator, a families/outreach coordinator and a fundraising chairperson.

“For our program to truly thrive, we must put our energy into all of these departments,” Ross said. “If you or anyone that you know may be interested, please contact me as soon as possible.”

SOWH recently lost a fabulous volunteer coordinator, Debbie Extor, whose leadership will be missed dearly.

“Debbie has done a great job for the past few years, but needs to retire from the position at this time,” Ross said. “That void is what we need to fill first off and Debbie has assured me that she would help her replacement get aquainted with the position.”