Program Chair Felipe Vidal introduced
Mark Thompson, Executive Director
Special Olympics, Miami Dade County
Mark began his career and current position with Special Olympics
in 2003. In this role, Mark leads a
growth oriented year-round sports training and competition rogram for over
3,000 intellectually disabled persons ages eight and older throughout
Miami-Dade county. Mark is responsible
for developing program awareness, ongoing athlete and volunteer recruitments,
fund development, athlete leadership and healthy athlete initiatives,
oversight of a twenty-five member advisory committee, and overall administrative leadership.
Prior to joining Special Olympics, Mark was a professional for
22 years with the YMCA
“Let me win, but if I cannot win, let me be brave in the
attempt.”
– special Olympics athletes oath.
The kids are so invested that a girl who never spoke, recited
this motto perfectly when on a trip to compete.
The abilities of these athletes are often shadowed by their
disabilities. Eunice Kennedy Shriver
is the founder. It is the most
remarkable franchise in all of sports.
Go to a special event and you wonder who really has a disability
as there is such an appreciation of achievement and pure delight.
2.7 million participate throughout the
world. This is the largest program for
disabled on the planet.
There are 3,000 participating athletes in Miami Dade County who
also benefit from a life skills program in Miami Dade Schools. The travel by chartered bus, taking them on
the road to compete.
This program has a goal to try to create independence for the
athlete so they will be secure when their parents are gone. An extremely employable summer camp program
was started two years ago. Called Camp Shriver
it offers 14 sports.
Students, such as Grier
Harris, who are ages 18- 22, are assimilated into the Miami Dade college
setting.
Grier Harris, also spoke
to our club about the Special Olympics. She has been an athlete for two years. She competes in basketball, swimming, softball, and bocce. Along with her partner Laurie, she won a
gold medal in bocce at Special Olympics Florida’s summer games in May. She was selected recently to sit on the
Florida Youth Council for the Disabled. She is also a member of Special Olympics Miami-Dade County’s Athlete
Leadership Council.
COME to see the competitions! Be a spectator. Share in the
joy.
2008-2009 COMPETITION SCHEDULE/VOLUNTEER
OPPORTUNITIES
September 2008 Friday, 9/05
Aquatics
Competition
9:30 - 1:00 pm
Tamiami Pool 11201 SW 24th Street, Miami
Friday & Saturday
State Golf Championships
9/12 & 9/13
Clermont, Florida
Tuesday, 9/16
Bowling Competition
(Schools)
9:30 - 1:00 pm
Bird Bowl 9275 Bird Road, Miami
Thursday, 9/18
Bowling Competition
(Schools)
9:30 - 1:00 pm
SpareZ Lanes 5325 S. University Drive, Davie
Monday, 9/22
Softball Competition
9:30 - 1:00 pm
Tamiami Park (Field) 11201 SW 24th Street, Miami
Tuesday, 9/23
Bowling Competition
(Schools)
9:30 - 1:00 pm
Bird Bowl 9275 Bird Road, Miami
Wednesday, 9/24
Rollerskating Competition
9:30 - 1:00 pm
Superwheels Skating Center 12265 SW 112th Street, Miami
Thursday, 9/25
Bowling Competition
(Schools)
9:30 - 1:00 pm
SpareZ Lanes 5325 S. University Drive, Davie
Saturday, 9/27
Bowling
Competition (Agencies)
Noon – 4:00 pm
Bird Bowl 9275 Bird
Road, Miami
Wednesday, 10/1
Powerlifting Competition
9:30 - 1:00 pm
Bucky Dent Park (City of Hialeah) 2250 West 60th Street,
Hialeah
Saturday & Sunday
State Aquatics
Championships
10/4 & 10/5
Sebastian,
Florida
October & November 2008
Friday & Saturday
State Fall Classic
10/31 & 11/1
Bowling,
Powerlifting, Rollerskating, Softball
Disney Wide World of Sports, Orlando
December 2008
Tue, 12/2 & Thurs, 12/4
Basketball Team Competition (Elem/Middle
12/2)
9:30 - 1:00 pm
G. Holmes
Braddock Senior (High Schools 12/4) 3601 NW 147th Avenue, Miami
Tue, 12/8 & Thurs, 12/11
Basketball Individual Skills Comp.
(Elem/Middle 12/8)
9:30 - 1:00
Coral Gables
Senior High (High Schools 12/11) 450 Bird Road, Coral Gables
Wednesday, 12/17
Basketball Team Skills
Competition (Schools Only)
9:30 - 1:00 pm
Coral Gables Senior High School 450 Bird Road, Coral Gables
January 2009
Saturday, 01/10
Basketball Competition
(Agencies & Independents)
8:00 - 1:00 pm
North Shore Park Youth Center 501 72nd Street, Miami Beach
February 2009
Friday & Saturday
Sectional Basketball
Tournament
02/6 & 02/7
Cocoa Beach - Patrick Air Force Base
Sunday, 02/22
Athletics (Track
& Field) Competition
7:30 - 2:00 pm
FIU North Campus
(North Miami Stadium) NE 151st Street & Biscayne Blvd., North Miami
Mon, 02/23 & Thurs. 02/26
Soccer Skills Competition
(Elem/Middle 2/23)
9:30 – 1:00 pm
Tamiami Park (High Schools
2/26) 11201 SW 24th Street
March 2009
Friday & Saturday
State Basketball
Tournament
03/6 & 03/7
Orlando
Saturday, 03/14
Area Summer Games
Competition
8:00 - 1:00 pm
(bocce, cycling,
tennis, soccer, volleyball)
Miami
Dade College, Kendall Campus 11011 SW 104th Street, Miami
May 2009
Wednesday, 5/6 & 5/13
Golf Competition
9:30 - 1:00 pm
International Links of
Miami 1802 NW 37th Avenue, Miami
Friday & Saturday
State Summer Games
05/15 & 05/16
Disney Wide World of Sports,
Orlando
If you are interested in volunteering, please
email us in advance at specialolympics@somdc.org
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