Special Olympics West Hawaii

Special Olympics West Hawaii athletes, coaches, volunteers, families and friends were among the hundreds of volunteers who lined the 26-mile course, helping make the Kona Marathon successful June 21.

During the race, SOWH participants and supporters encouraged each of the 1,125 registered runners, cheering and giving applause. From 5:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., they manned the aid station on Kuakini Highway in front of West Hawaii Today and the former Chevy dealer in Kailua-Kona.

Please enjoy the following photos, taken by SOWH Volunteer Coordinator KC Strand, at the 2009 Kona Marathon. To view the entire album, click here.

Special Olympics West Hawaii athletes, coaches, volunteers, family and friends are encouraged to sign up for the Kona Marathon aid station.

The Kona Marathon will be held on Sunday, June 28. SOWH’s aid station will be located in front of the Chevy dealer. The hours will be from 5:30 a.m. until 1 p.m. There will be two shifts: 5:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. or 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Those interested in helping out at the aid station should call KC Strand, SOWH volunteer coordinator, at 315-7944 soon as possible. Please send Strand the following information: your name, phone number, shift and T-shirt size. 

“As with all our events I am looking forward to a fun time with great people,” she said. “It’s expected that 700 participants will pass by the aid station during this short time frame so it should be busy as well as fun.”

For more information, visit www.konamarathon.com.

Special Olympics West Hawaii is participating in the 31st annual Visitor Industry Charity Walk, a statewide event that occurs simultaneously Saturday, May 16, on Oahu, Maui, the Big Island and Kauai.

More than 9,500 walkers raised $1.12 million and helped 190 local charities, including SOWH, in 2008.

The Big Island event begins at 7:45 a.m. for runners and 8 a.m. for walkers at Anaehoomalu Bay in Waikoloa.

Volunteers are needed to man the SOWH aid station located along the walking route. Want to help? Contact Dave Ross, SOWH area director, at 808-345-1344 or sowhdave@yahoo.com.

SOWH athletes, coaches, volunteers, families, friends and supporters are also encouraged to participate in the Charity Walk. The entry is $35 for adults and $25 for those under 18 years of age, which includes a morning of fun, food, entertainment and exercise. For more information about the Charity Walk, call Lynne Nagaoka, of the Waikoloa Beach Marriott Resort, at 808-886-8129 or Bambi Lau, of the Hilton Waikoloa Village, at 808-886-2884.

Ross has pledge sheets, with a goal of $35 per entrant, for those interested in running, walking or simply just donating.

“This is a fun event, a casual stroll followed by great food and tunes on the beach. It is also a huge fundraising event for SOWH,” he said. “Our monies raised in donations have no bearing on the size of the donation we receive. It is all about how many people we have turn in a form. So let’s do it.”

Six Special Olympics teams from Kona, Hilo and Honokaa will compete in the Big Island softball tournament April 11 at the fields behind the Kona Community Aquatic Center on Kuakini Highway.

Through this competition, teams qualify for the Summer Games held at the University of Hawaii-Manoa from May 29 to May 30. Summer Games marks the end of the Spring season.

Opening ceremonies for the Big Island softball tournament begin promptly at 9:15 a.m. Volunteers should check in between 8 a.m. and 8:30 a.m.

Volunteers are needed to prepare and hand out awards; give snacks and drinks to spectators, athletes and volunteers; be on hand to handle minor injuries; as well as help people check in, answer questions and lend a hand.

Donations are being sought for snacks, drinks, lunches, paper goods, ice, medial supplies, and tents. Contributing businesses and organizations can have their banners displayed at the tournament.

For more information or to donate, call Dave Ross, Special Olympics West Hawaii area director, at 345-1344 or send an e-mail to sowhdave@yahoo.com. Also visit www.sowh.org.

The Hawaii Police Department and volunteers will carry the “Flame of Hope” through the streets of Kailua-Kona in an effort to raise awareness and funds for the athletes of Special Olympics West Hawaii. This event, known as the “Troy Barboza Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics,” is a tradition in the law enforcement community around the world.

On Saturday, April 11, the officers and supporters will be in Kona for the West Hawaii Torch Run. The event begins at 8:30 a.m. at the Old Kona Airport Park. The “Flame of Hope” will be carried from the park to Hale Halawai via Kuakini Highway, Palani Road and Alii Drive. At Hale Halawai, the torch runners will turn around and return to the park.

Police officers will be directing traffic at the intersections of Kuakini Highway/Palani Road and Kopiki Street/Palani Road.

The Troy Barboza Law Enforcement Torch Run is a coordinated project of the Hawaii Police Department and Special Olympics Hawaii. The Torch Run was created in 1981 by Chief Richard Lamunyon of Wichita, Kansas, who, along with a couple of deputies, ran the first torch run for Special Olympics. The torch is now carried by law enforcement officers — referred to as “Guardians of the Flame” — in every state and in more than 40 other countries. This International Torch Run, which lost money in 1981, raised more than $32 million world wide in 2008. In Hawaii, the torch run is named after fallen Honolulu Police Officer Troy Barboza, who volunteered as a Special Olympics coach and participated in the first Torch Run in Hawaii.

To participate in the Torch Run or make a donation to SOWH, call 326-4646. Ask for Detective Walter Ah Mow at extension 238, Detective Renee Morinaka at extension 301, or Sergeant Rollin Rabara at extension 315.

Those who make donations of $20 or more will receive a free commemorative 2009 Troy Barboza/First Hawaiian Bank Law Enforcement Torch Run T-shirt or tank top. (A $25 donation entitles the donor to a long-sleeved shirt or one in XXXL size).

Local police officers, Special Olympics West Hawaii, Tesoro Hawaii and volunteers will be filling tanks Thursday, April 2, and Friday, April 3, at the Tesoro on Queen Kaahumanu Highway across from the Honokohau Small Boat Harbor.

Tesoro is hosting “Fueling Dreams” events statewide at 12 gas stations to raise money for Special Olympics, a year-round program of sports training and competitions for people with intellectual disabilities. This year’s goal is to raise $50,000.

The Hawaii Police Department helps coordinate the event, which is part of the “Troy Barboza Law Enforcement Torch Run.” Off-duty officers, volunteer department employees and Tesoro employees greet customers, as well as offer to fill their gas tanks and clean their windows.

SOWH volunteers are needed to pump gas, talk story, clean windshields, laugh and take donations. They can voluntarily work shifts either from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. or from 3 p.m. until 7 p.m.

Tell a friend, tell a co-worker, and tell your tutu. If you need gas, Tesoro is the place to be. The place will be pumping. Twice the shifts, twice the people, and twice the fun. Get out there and pump someone up.

Police Chief Harry Kubojiri encourages the public to support his officers’ efforts by patronizing the participating Tesoro-Hawaii stations in Kailua-Kona and Hilo, as well as donate to Special Olympics. The Police Department proudly sponsors events that continue to emphasize its commitment to its core values of compassion, teamwork and community satisfaction.

To make a donation directly to SOWH, send a check to P.O. Box 390358, Keauhou, HI 96740.

To volunteer for Fueling Dreams, send an e-mail to KC Strand, SOWH volunteer coordinator, at zionvideos@yahoo.com. For more information or to donate, call Dave Ross, SOWH area director, at 345-1344. Also visit www.sowh.org.

Note: SOWH athletes can participate in two sports. Practices begin Feb. 4. Anyone interested in competing or volunteering should sign-up by sending SOWH volunteer coordinator KC Strand an e-mail at zionvideos@yahoo.com. You may also contact Lona Warner, head of delegation, at 808-989-2080, 808-327-0491 or biglona@hotmail.com.

SOFTBALL & T-BALL
3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Wednesdays & Fridays at Old Kona Airport Park’s baseball field, located at the end of Kuakini Highway in Kailua-Kona.

SWIMMING
5 p.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesdays & Fridays at the Kona Community Aquatic Center, located at 75-5500 Kuakini Hwy. in Kailua-Kona.

POWERLIFTING
5:15 p.m. to 6:15 p.m. Wednesdays at The Club at Kona, located at 75-5699 Kopiko St. in Kailua-Kona.
11 a.m. to noon Saturdays at The Club at Kona, located at 75-5699 Kopiko St. in Kailua-Kona.

TRACK & FIELD
3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Mondays & Thursdays at Kealakehe High School’s track, located at 74-5000 Puohulihuli St. in Kailua-Kona.

To participate:
* Volunteers must fill out the required forms, available online at www.specialolympicshawaii.org/volunteers.htm.
* Athletes must fill out the required forms, available online at www.specialolympicshawaii.org/a&f-registration.htm.

The Hawaii Island Paddlesport Association is holding its 11th annual Valentine’s Day relay race for couples at 10 a.m. Feb. 14 at Honokohau Small Boat Harbor in Kailua-Kona.

Competitors race in one- and two-man outrigger canoes, as well as on top of paddleboards and standup paddleboards.

The race continues to grow because it’s a family friendly event. It also raises money for a chosen charity. This year, HIPA decided to donate funds to Special Olympics West Hawaii, especially since Special Olympics Hawaii lost its state funding in schools. Money will also be given to Greg Cameron, of the Kailua-Kona Fire Station, who was diagnosed with stage four cancer, said Ronona Della Cioppa, HIPA vice president.

Race entry costs $25. More information can be found online at www.kaikahoe.org.

Donations in honor of SOWH or Greg Cameron are now being accepted. Contributions may be sent via mail to Ronona Della Cioppa, 76-6254 Koko Olua Way, Kailua-Kona, HI 96740. Questions? Call 989-7066.