News

Courtesy of big12sports.com

The Big 12 Conference has announced the 2015-16 Special Olympics Athletes of the Year. This year’s winners are Kim Lively of Ames, Iowa, and Cody Pierce of Pittsburg , Kan.

Each season, the Big 12, in conjunction with select Special Olympics affiliate offices, identifies a male and female athlete who exemplify the tenants of Special Olympics. The two recipients and members of their family are invited to the Phillips 66 Big 12 Men’s Basketball Championship for an on-court presentation during the title game.

Kim Lively has been a self-proclaimed “Iowa State Cyclone fan” since she was a little girl. She has participated in Special Olympics events for over 20 years, specializing in softball and golf. Lively has won numerous medals in both, as well as track, bowling and bocce ball. She won three gold medals while competing for the first time in the state of Iowa Special Olympics Games. …

Granite City will be donating a portion of its sales to Special Olympics Iowa on Feb. 17!

Visit one of the three Granite City locations in Iowa – Cedar Rapids, Clive or Davenport– on Feb. 17, show your server our flyer and 20% of your total tab will be donated to Special Olympics Iowa!

Can’t stay for a meal? To go orders are included, too!

The Special Olympics Iowa state office welcomes John Kliegl and Jeremiah Johnson to the SOIA family. Kliegl has been named the vice president of development and will start his new role on Feb. 15. Johnson has been named director of financial services after acting in an interim role for six months prior to officially joining the SOIA staff in January.

Kliegl will lead SOIA’s development team and fundraising activities. Prior to joining the SOIA staff, Kliegl was the state director of Best Buddies Iowa for three years and, spending the prior year as director of development at the organization. At Best Buddies, Kliegl exceeded revenue goals, acquired the state office’s largest single-donor gift, increased partnering schools and expanded the organization to include middle schools and anti-bullying education. His daughter, Abbie, is a long-time Special Olympics athlete.

Johnson will direct human resources, centralized accounting and payroll at the state office. Johnson has been a licensed certified public accountant since 2008 and earned his BA in accounting from Grand View University in 2006. He has held previous accounting and financial positions at Willis Auto Campus, The Iowa Air National Guard and Wells Fargo. He is also a current member of the 132^nd Wing of the Iowa Air National Guard in Des Moines. His military education includes Airman Leadership School and the Air Force Non Commissioned Officer Academy.

Ambassadors from Special Olympics Iowa will be meeting with legislators in Washington, D.C. on Wed., Feb 10 for Capitol Hill Day. Athlete Corey Leonhard, CEO Gary Harms and Delegation Manager Jason Miller will be joined by Miss Teen of America Corrie Hayes to advocate for support of the life-changing work Special Olympics does in our state.

Since it was passed in 2004, the Special Olympics Sport and Empowerment Act has provided the financial means to help  improve the lives of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities through its support for global sports and related programming, as well as social and recreational programs. Specifically, this legislation authorizes the use of funds for specific programs which directly impact Special Olympics athletes in matters relating to health, education and global program initiatives. Each year, Special Olympics urges members of Congress to continue a national commitment to the Special Olympics Sport and Empowerment Act. …

As a continuation of the FIT Program and the goal of helping Special Olympic athletes build healthy habits, March to Summer Games will begin March 1 and will include 250 participants. March to Summer Games is a walking club that allows Special Olympics athletes and Unified Partners opportunities to build a habit of moving and becoming more active. It is a flexible program through Special Olympics Iowa that should be easy to maintain.

Each club will meet at least once per week (or more if desired) to walk. Miles will be added up and used in a competition format where Special Olympics athletes and teams with the highest average miles will receive awards at Summer Games. The FIT Program pre- and post-assessments will be done to record fitness improvement.  The 11-week program will begin March 1 and end May 15.  If you are interested in March to Summer Games contact Bruce Wilson or Stephanie Boylan

By SOIA Intern Katie Baum

Special Olympics Iowa has given its athletes countless opportunities and memories since its beginning in 1968 thanks to our dedicated volunteers, staffs, families and friends. Brian Bates, Iowa City Special Olympics athlete, is not only a dedicated athlete, he also serves as a volunteer when he is not competing.

Nearly 30 years ago, Brian was a student at Washington High School in Washington, Iowa, when he first heard about Special Olympics. This excited him and led him to join the Special Olympics swim team through his school.

Two years after his high school graduation, he moved to Iowa City. About a year after his move, he learned that a Special Olympics program was starting in the area. He really missed the competition from high school so he decided to join. …

As we move into a new year, the staff at Special Olympics Iowa would like to welcome our new families, coaches and delegation managers and thank everyone returning for your continued support. We would also like to remind you a few housekeeping items:

• Athlete physicals may be emailed to physicals@soiowa.org (The coach should keep an original copy for their records).
• Registration/entry forms for area competitions should be sent to your area director.
• Registration/entry forms for state competitions should be sent to the state office at registrations@soiowa.org.
• Class A volunteer applications should be sent to the state office at classa@soiowa.org.
• The 2016 Coaches’ Guide can be found at soiowa.org. In the Competitions drop list, click on Participation Forms, and the link is on the left in the orange Helpful Links section.

Please Note: Whenever you are scanning something to the state office, call or email to let us know so we can verify we received your document.

The volunteer spirit was shining bright during Special Olympics Iowa Winter Games in Dubuque, especially among a group of students from the University of Dubuque who were lending a helping hand at the Mystique Ice Arena. For five years, the Quest for the Cup class, taught by Jim Romagna, has helped to make sure the figure skating and speed skating events run smoothly. Students help with race coordination, helping athletes on and off the ice, cheering them on during their events, race timing, awards, set-up and tear down.

Romagna is the department head of the Health, Wellness and Sport Program at the university and has turned volunteering at Winter Games into an annual event in the course syllabus. The J-term class is held for three weeks during the university’s winter break, with the primary focus on learning the history of the Dubuque Fighting Saints USHL hockey team. Students get an inside look at hockey operations including marketing, fundraising, practices, off-ice workouts and more. …

Thank you to our athletes, coaches, chaperones, volunteers and sponsors for making the 30^th Annual Winter Games a success! We took the cold weather in stride, bundled up extra tight and had a wonderful three days in Dubuque!

If you missed out on the action, catch up with the links below:

Winter Games Preview – We Are Iowa Local 5 News

Special Olympics Athletes Gather for Opening of Winter Games – KCRG

Despite Cold Weather, Special Olympics Winter Games Continues – KWWL

Cheering Section Brings Out Best in Special Olympics Athletes in Dubuque – Dubuque Telegraph Herald

Frigid Conditions Don’t Slow Special Olympics Athletes in Dubuque – Dubuque Telegraph Herald

See Photos on Our Facebook Page!

Special Olympics Iowa (SOIA) will hold the 30^th Annual Winter Games in Dubuque Jan. 11-13 with more than 375 athletes from 47 delegations across the state set to compete in Alpine skiing, cross country skiing, snowshoeing, short-track speed skating and figure skating.

Full Schedule of Events

More than 170 coaches and chaperones, along with more than 300 volunteers, will join the athletes and make the event a success. The Grand Harbor Center, Sundown Mountain, Albrecht Acres and Mystique Community Ice Center will host the competitions and activities.

“We are both proud and excited to celebrate 30 years of Winter Games with the city of Dubuque,” said SOIA CEO Gary Harms. “The people and businesses in this city have opened their arms and their hearts to our wonderful athletes, families, coaches, staff and volunteers for many years.  We are thrilled to return for this annual event, and look forward to celebrating many more years of Winter Games in Dubuque.”

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