Impact Through SupportCountdown to County Basketball:
2010-01-16 12:00:00 GMT-05:00!
January 20: Time TBA, USF Tampa
Countdown to County Summer Games:
2010-2-20 9:00:00 GMT-05:00!
February 20 @ 9am, Bartow Civic Center
Coming Events
- County Basketball at USF Tampa -
January 16
- County Summer Games at Bartow Civic Center - February 20, 9am to 3:30pm
Click here to view full event calendar.
Polar Plunge
Saturday,
January 16, 2010. Many SOPC law enforcement officers,
staff, and family members have already committed to "Take the Plunge" to
raise money for the athletes of Special Olympics Florida – Polk County
by taking a chilly dip into the wave pool at Aquatica on Saturday,
January 16, 2010
Please consider making a small donation on their behalf -OR- joining their teams as a plunger by visiting their Firstgiving page:
firstgiving.com/floridapolarplunge
Find the PCI Popsicles in the Teams section to support Special Olympics Polk, they are on the second page of teams.
Special Olympic Members Kimberly McHugh and Ruth Lee become Moose Lodge Members
Fall Games on Sun Sports After Fall State Games in November
Special Olympics Florida's third TV show of 2009 will air on Sun Sports network throughout November and December. This show will recap the 2009 State Fall Games.
These half-hour programs will be closed captioned for hearing impaired viewers. As always, be sure to check your local listings for exact times and dates and for additional broadcast dates.
Message From Our County Coordinator
Our volunteers are the foundation of Special Olympics Polk (SOPC) and the
results of their dedication and efforts can be seen in the smiles of our
athletes! Words cannot express the gratitude and appreciation I have for all
who are a part of SOPC. I encourage you to become a part of our mission,
whether you are a volunteer, unified partner, family member, or athlete.
Please consider contributing to our
community of champions! I challenge you to consider what you can do to
help..no matter how big or small - your efforts will make a difference in
the lives of many!
Kimberly McHugh, County Coordinator
Special
Olympics is a global nonprofit organization targeting the nearly 200 million
people round the world who have intellectual disabilities.
Our Mission
The mission of Special Olympics POLK is to provide year-round sports training and competition in a variety of Olympic-type sports for people with intellectual disabilities who wish to participate, giving them continuing opportunities to develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage, experience joy and participate in the sharing of gifts, skills, and friendship with their families, other Special Olympics athletes, and the community.
Click here to pledge to end the use of the R-Word
2nd Annual Fishing for Funds Campaign at Starbucks
It’s
that time of year again! I will be on the roof of Starbucks at Lake Miriam
on Friday, January 8th and Saturday, January 9th from 7:00
AM to 7:00 PM fishing the drive-through and the front doors from the rooftop
with fishing poles looking for donations for Special Olympics Polk County
(SOPC). Make sure you stop by to support us!
- Kimberly McHugh, County Coordinator
Publix Torch Campaign
December
31 through January 21, show you're a fan of Special Olympics by
purchasing a paper torch at your local Publix Super Market check-out
register for $1, $3, or $5 to support Special Olympics and your local
athletes! Something for you: this year's torches include $6 in coupons
on select Procter & Gamble products. These coupons are good above and
beyond the brandSAVER™ coupons (found in your December 27th newspaper).
Don’t forget - Saturday, January 9th from 9:00 AM to
noon there will be Special Olympic athletes and coaches at all 22 Publix
locations throughout Polk County. Make sure you stop by to see them!
2008 Torch Run
2009 Torch Run
Athlete of the Month for November
Tony O'Neil
The athlete of the month is Tony O’Neil. Tony has been in Special Olympics for eight years. He started while he was an athlete at Fruitland Park, which is now called Karen M Siegel Academy. His coach was Tony Pletch. While there, he participated in cycling and bowling at the County and Area level competitions. After Fruitland Park, he attended Lake Region High School where he continued participating in Special Olympics cycling and bowling under Coach Bonnie Spires. Tony graduated from Lake Region High School in 2007. He is currently 23 years-old and has just added softball as his latest sport in Special Olympics. Tony played on The Cubs, in Lake Alfred, coached by Joe McGary. His team went to Fall State Games at Wide World of Sports on October 30-31st. While there, he received recognition for being Polk County’s Inspirational Athlete alongside the Inspirational Coach, Bob Steele. Tony’s team, The Cubs, came in 2nd place in the state! This was Tony’s first time competing at the state level and he had a fabulous time! He is now practicing basketball in Lake Alfred with Coach Joe McGary and Assistant Coach Gib Holt. He will play on a new 3-on-3 team. His first competition will be on December 12, at Heritage Baptist Church in Lakeland. Tony says his favorite sport so far has been softball. He enjoys spending time with his family and two dogs, Maxi, a mixed breed, and Sage, a Red-nosed Pit-bull. Tony is a very thoughtful and responsible young man. He called me faithfully all summer long to make sure softball practice wasn’t cancelled due to afternoon rainstorms. He was always ready to play and thoroughly enjoyed his time with teammates. Congratulations to Tony for making it to state in softball, being Polk County’s Inspirational Athlete at Fall State Games, and being athlete of the month for November. Way to go Tony
Be a fan...
Special Olympics' new, nationwide "Be a fan" public education campaign is designed to send a powerful message that resonates with the people of all walks of life by tapping into core values and attributes that everyone can appreciate, like unity, acceptance, empowerment, dignity, courage, strength, pride, confidence and fun. Click the play button below to watch the video.