Special Olympics Louisiana 2010 Annual Report

- Special Olympics Athlete Oath

Created by the Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr. Foundation Authorized and accredited by Special Olympics, Inc. for the benefit of persons with

intellectual disabilities.

Special Olympics Louisiana, Inc. 1000 East Morris Avenue Hammond, Louisiana 70403 Office: 985-345-6644 or 1-800-345-6644 Fax: 985-345-6649 Email: [email protected] Website: www.laso.org Facebook: www.facebook.com/specialolympicslouisiana Twitter: www.twitter.com/SOLouisiana

On the cover

Bayouland Athlete, Steve Ackerman wins bronze at the 2010 State Indoor Games.

Louisiana State Police, Trooper Jason Lamarca hugs young athlete before the Opening Ceremonies of the 2010 State Summer Games.

m

m

m

m

m

m

m

m

m

m

m

m

m

To receive copies of the 2010 Special Olympics Louisiana Annual Report, please call 1-800-345-6644. You may also request current lists of Area Directors, Board of Directors and Staff.

Special Olympics Louisiana,

It seems as though 2010 just flew by! This

past year was a busy year for us and in these

pages you will find out about our recent

accomplishments and events. Some of the

highlights include: sending over 60 athletes

to the Special Olympics USA National Games,

hosting the first Eunice Kennedy Shriver day

and debuting the ScholarWise campaign. Of

course, none of this would have been

possible without the help of our volunteers

and the Law Enforcement Torch Run officers

who raised over $300,000!

I have never been more confident in the

direction of our organization. We are blessed

with wonderful people whom we are proud to

call our family, from the area directors and

athletes to the coaches, families and

volunteers. We thank you for your continued

support and passion for our organization.

We are all a part of something truly

remarkable. I encourage each and every one

of you to share the message of Special

Olympics with someone new and continue to

grow our movement. I am eager to see what

2011 will hold in store.

Sincerely,

Pat Carpenter Bourgeois

President and CEO

Special Olympics Louisiana

Special Olympics Louisiana (SOLA) offers year-round

programs for over 13,000 children and adults with

intellectual disabilities in all 64 parishes with the help of

12,000 volunteers. We have health, education, leadership,

family, training and sports programs for people beginning

at age 2 and there is no upper age limit.

Special Olympics offers training and competition

opportunities for every athlete regardless of gender,

age or ability. No matter what the interest, there is a

sport for everyone! In 2010, we held 82 competitive

events across Louisiana. We also had increased

participation in aquatics and equestrian.

Unified Sports brings together athletes with intellectual

disabilities and their peers without intellectual

disabilities on the same team for training and

competition. In 2010, we held 11 Unified Competitions

at Parish and Area events, as well as, added 300

unified partners.

Camp Shriver is hosted to build and develop skills and

relationships in a unified environment. In 2010, we

hosted 5 Camp Shriver summer camps: Baton Rouge,

Destrehan, Jefferson, Lafayette and Shreveport. This is

the most camps we have hosted in one summer!

Athlete Leadership Program offers athletes the

opportunity to take active leadership roles both on and

off the field. Athletes are taught the proper governing

functions of SOLA and all the rules and regulations

through workshops. In 2010, we trained more athletes

to be global messengers for our organization.

Family Support Network helps families help each other.

With the assistance of similar agencies families have a

support system within Special Olympics.

“FIT” with SOLA helps athletes improve their training and

competition through health screenings in specific

medical disciplines. Each discipline promotes healthy

lifestyles as well as share experiences with health care

professionals. In 2010, we screened more than 800

athletes! That is 6% more than 2009. We also,

successfully trained two new clinical directors and will

begin Healthy Hearing in 2011.

Get Into It is a curriculum resource kit for, regular

education classrooms, grades K-12, students with and

without disabilities.

Project UNIFY is a movement to promote school

communities that exercise all young people as agents of

change - fostering respect, dignity and advocacy for

people with intellectual disabilities. Project UNIFY

incorporates several programs such as: Athlete

Leadership, Be a fan, R-Word, Small Steps Big Leaps,

Get Into It, Traditional Special Olympics and Unified

Sports. Through this endeavor, in 2010, we reached

more than 170 schools, developed a Fan Handbook and

grew our Youth Activation Committee.

Small Steps, Big Leaps is a sports play program that

introduces children 2 to 7 yrs. old to sports prior to

competition for Special Olympics at age eight. It utilizes

physical activities to develop fundamental motor

tracking and eye-hand coordination play. In 2010, we

added an additional 200 young athletes to our program.

In 2010, we added more individuals to the Special

Olympics Louisiana family. We utilized 36% more

volunteers and established new volunteers through

major corporations, including 200 Walmart volunteers.

We also recruited more than 25 student workers to

assist in various projects.

The 2010 Special Olympics USA National Games in Lincoln, Nebraska

showcased and celebrated the Special Olympics movement and

athletes from across the United States, while illustrating the power of

sports to educate and inform about the true abilities and achievements

of people with intellectual disabilities. Nearly 3,000 athletes competed

in 13 Olympic-style sports, with the support of 1,000 coaches, 8,000

volunteers and an estimated 15,000 family and friends. In addition to

sports, the USA National Games offered various programs in health,

wellness and education.

Special Olympics 2010 USA National Games

June 18 –23, 2010

Lincoln, Nebraska

Special Olympics Louisiana sent a

delegation of 83 to attend the 2010

Special Olympics USA National

Games in Lincoln, Nebraska. This

year was the first year we were able

to secure 2 Cessna planes to assist

with flying several athletes to the

National Games. Louisiana’s

delegation enjoyed numerous

festivities while also competing in

Athletics (Track & Field), Aquatics

(Swimming), Basketball, Bocce,

Bowling, Golf, Powerlifting and

Softball. The Louisiana delegation

consisted of 62 athletes, 1 unified

partner and 18 coaches from across

Louisiana.

Overall, Team Louisiana brought

home:

40 - Gold Medals

25 - Silver Medals

13 - Bronze Medals

13 - 4th Place Ribbons




In 2010 many of our fundraisers raised more money

than ever before!

m The 2nd Annual Plane Pull tested the strength of

nine teams pulling a FedEx B727-200 Plane for the

fastest time. The event was held at Lafayette

Regional Airport in October. Louisiana Department of

Corrections won bragging rights and the trophy.

m The SOL Bowl celebrity bowling event had over 50

celebrities in attendance and raised over $15,000.

Colonial Bowling Lanes in Harahan, Louisiana hosted

the event in April.

m We hosted two Polar Plunges with a combined total

of over 50 participants braving the cold waters. Over

$12,000 was raised for Special Olympics Louisiana

athletes. The Polar Plunge took place in Baton Rouge

and in Shreveport in January at Bass Pro Shops.

m Hammond Blues & BBQ Challenge once again chose

Special Olympics Louisiana as a beneficiary, and this

year over $12,000 was raised. In March, more than

60 local teams and 50 KCBS teams competed in

various BBQ competitions in downtown Hammond.

m Over 40 participants went Over the Edge of Benson

Tower, including New Orleans Saints Executive Vice

President/Owner Rita Benson LeBlanc. In August,

over $40,000 was raised as each participant

rappelled down the 17 story tower and became a

Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office S.W.A.T. Team

Member for the day.

m In April, the 5th Annual Rotary Club of Lafayette

South Golf Tournament was held at Acadian Hills

Country Club. We were selected as the beneficiary

and more than $18,000 was raised. One of Special

Olympics Louisiana’s golf teams participated in the

tournament.

m We were selected as a charity of choice in the Hood

Northlake Chevrolet - Drive it Forward Campaign. For

every new car that is purchased, $50 goes to the

buyers choice of charity. Special Olympics Louisiana

was the top charity in 2010.

m Our 2010 NFL Experience Raffle sent Nora Brechtel

and a friend to SuperBowl XLIV. They were treated like

V.I.P. guests and witnessed the New Orleans Saints

become World Champions!

m The 1st Fire Truck Pull was a blazing success. In

March, teams of ten pulled a fire truck 12 feet at the

St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office Administrative

Building. The St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office also

took home the trophy for fastest team.

m Cuffs and Gavels took place in April at the Pentagon

Barracks. This unique event partnered law

enforcement officers and athletes in various events

such as relay races and law trivia.

m In June, twenty law enforcement groups participated

in the 1st Battle of the Badges softball tournament.

An officer from Lafayette developed the idea and over

$10,000 was raised for Special Olympics Louisiana.

m The 3rd Annual Leaders of Tomorrow honored eight

extraordinary youth in Louisiana who are going above

and beyond to make a difference. These individuals/

groups were honored by the First Lady of Louisiana,

Mrs. Supriya Jindal, in November, at a luncheon held

at the Louisiana State Police Training Facility.

m Special Olympics Louisiana’s Social Media pages saw

huge successes in 2010. Facebook fans increased by

332% and Twitter followers by 246%!

View our website or social media pages to see how you

can participate in these events in 2011!

ScholarWisetm: A Tuition Solution is a first-of-its-

kind development solution that brings together

students and families, schools, and Special

Olympics Louisiana in a mutually beneficial

$120,000 scholarship-trust giveaway program.

The scholarship trusts can be used for any

qualified educational opportunity by learners of

all ages; they also may be allocated to benefit

multiple students. The scholarship can be used

for any educational expenses, including but not

limited to: tuition at any grade level; Pre K –

12th grade, college, graduate school, or

vocational, repayment of student loans,

international studies, books, room and board.

Special Olympics Louisiana, as the beneficiary,

enjoys rewarding Louisiana students while

increasing community awareness and growing

its own contributions. Participating schools in

the communities share in ticket revenues as

well, gaining funds to support materials and

programming. In May 2010, Sabrina Duhe of

Ponchatoula, Louisiana was awarded the grand

prize winner when her ticket was drawn. She

has already begun using the ScholarWise

Scholarship prize for her two children’s tuition

in private school and saving for their college

tuition.

“My husband and I are so grateful to know that the

ScholarWise Scholarship will fund their high school and college tuition, relieving a huge burden. We now have the ability to give our

children educational opportunities they might not

have had.”

Sabrina Duhe

Top: Sabrina Duhe from Ponchatoula and her family are the grand prize winners of the 1st

ScholarWise Scholarship Giveaway! Bottom: from left to right: Special Olympics Louisiana athlete Kevin Melancon, Senator Mike Michot, Special Olympics Louisiana

Board Member Charles Trent and his granddaughter Mary celebrate the first

ScholarWise ticket sale!

Above: Members of the City of Hammond Inclusion League play Flag Football on September 25th in honor of

the 1st Eunice Kennedy Shriver Day. Below: Board Chair, Detective Ricky

Ouber reads letter from President Obama remembering Eunice Kennedy

Shriver during a Board Meeting on September 25th.

Governor of the State of Louisiana, Bobby

Jindal proclaimed September 25, 2010

Eunice Kennedy Shriver Day in Louisiana.

This worldwide day of remembrance was

in memory of Eunice Kennedy Shriver,

founder of the Special Olympics

movement, long-time supporter of Best

Buddies International, and leading

international advocate for the rights of

people with intellectual disabilities. EKS

Day was developed to celebrate Eunice

Kennedy Shriver’s five key values: Love,

Justice, Faith, Hope and Courage. The

activities that took place on this 1st EKS

Day demonstrated the impact of these

values to those unfamiliar with EKS and

her revolutionary movement in more than

170 countries around the world. There

were three components to EKS Day: Play,

Build, Join. Hundreds of thousands of

people around the world committed to

perform Eunice Kennedy Shriver Acts of

inclusion and acceptance for and with

persons with intellectual disabilities.

Eunice Kennedy Shriver Day will be

celebrated annually on the fourth

Saturday of every September. We invite

you to PLAY ON by joining the athletes of

Special Olympics, the real heroes of our

movement, to unify communities, and to

honor Eunice Kennedy Shriver by

becoming an agent of acceptance and

action throughout the world.

“What you are winning by your courage is far greater than any game. You are winning life itself and in doing, you give to others a most precious prize…faith in the unlimited possibilities of the

human spirit.” Eunice Kennedy Shriver

2010 Louisiana State Games Sponsors

Mission Partner Louisiana Law Enforcement Torch Run

Platinum Sponsor Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana

Knights of Columbus United Way of St. Charles

Medallion Sponsor Lafayette Rotary Club South

Gold Medal Sponsors Entergy Charitable Foundation

Procter & Gamble Distributing Company Smitty Supply, Inc.

Silver Medal Sponsor MidSouth Bank

Bronze Medal Sponsors ExxonMobil Foundation

Northrop Grumman The Woldenberg Foundation

The Fred B. and Ruth B. Zigler Foundation W & T Offshore

Special Olympics Louisiana would like to offer

tremendous thanks and appreciation to our

sponsors. Our sponsors go above and beyond

giving monetary donations. They also donate

products, services, volunteers and advice. We

are proud of these relationships and will

continue to grow them as well as add new

members to the family. Our sponsors

experience the positive difference working with

and supporting our athletes has on the

community. Please join us in supporting these

great corporations and foundations.

"Our sponsors are invaluable to the Special Olympics Louisiana movement. Many of

them have supported our mission for several years and their commitment gives our athletes

the opportunity to showcase their abilities."

- President and CEO of Special Olympics Louisiana, Pat Carpenter Bourgeois

2010 Louisiana LETR Sponsors

Olympic Torch Sponsor Walmart

Gold Medal Sponsors It’s a Smokin’ Blues & BBQ Challenge AT&T

Silver Medal Sponsors Louisiana Wildlife Agents Association IREM Louisiana - Chapter 55 Paragon Casino and Resort Louisiana Masons

Bronze Medal Sponsors CLECO Louisiana Fraternal Order of Police Grand Casino Coushatta Treasure Chest Casino Louisiana Sheriff’s Association Interactive E-Solutions Louisiana Lottery Corporation Rotolo’s Pizzeria

In Louisiana, the Law Enforcement Torch Run began in

1985 under the leadership of former Plaquemine

Parish Sheriff, Ernest P. Wooton. Under the leadership

of Sheriff William Earl Hilton, the Torch Run has grown

to include approximately 2,000 law enforcement

officers. These selfless individuals are appropriately

named “Guardians of the Flame” and still, today,

proudly carry the Olympic Torch. The Monday preceding

the Special Olympics Louisiana State Summer Games,

Law Enforcement Officers from virtually every corner of

the state begin their 1,000 mile run to deliver the

Olympic Torch to the Opening Ceremonies of the State

Summer Games. Throughout the year, and across the

state, Torch Run officers conduct fund-raising activities.

These events are as varied and unusual as the

phenomenal funds received. In 2010, the Louisiana

Law Enforcement Torch Run raised over $300,000 for

Special Olympics Louisiana. The Law Enforcement

Torch Run is the single largest fund-raising event and

the most highly successful public awareness campaign

in the history of our organization.

The Louisiana Torch Run Executive Committee meets

throughout the year. Each member has several years of

experience as a Torch Run participant. Leadership for

the Law Enforcement Torch Run is provided by highly

motivated and committed volunteers such as: Torch

Run State Director, Lieutenant Carl Dabadie, Baton

Rouge Police Department, Executive Council Vice-Chair,

Detective Ricky Ouber, Rapides Parish Sheriff’s Office

and Executive Council Secretary/Treasurer, Shannon

Thomas, Probation and Parole. Members of the

Honorary Torch Run Committee include: General

Bennett Landreneau, Adjutant General Louisiana

National Guard, Colonel Michael Edmonson, Louisiana

State Police, Colonel Winton Vidrine, Louisiana

Department of Wildlife Enforcement, Fire Marshal H.

“Butch” Browning, Jr., The Louisiana State Fire

Marshal’s Office, James LeBlanc, Department of

Corrections Secretary, Fabian Blache, Jr., Louisiana

Chiefs of Police Association Executive Director, and

Mike Ranatza, Louisiana Sheriff’s Association Executive

Director.

Special Olympics

Louisiana, Inc.

Statement of

Financial Position

Dec

ember

31, 2

010

Special

Olympics

Louisiana, Inc.

Statement of

Activities

For the 12 Months Ending

Decem

ber 31, 2010

Acadiana Area: Teri Perkins (337) 654-0080 / [email protected]

Number of athletes: 1,730 Potential number of athletes: 17,259

Bayouland Area: Theresa Theriot (800) 276-3195 / [email protected]


Capital Area: Vacant

Number of athletes: 899 Potential number of athletes: 20,493

Cenla Area: Vacant


Delta Area: Stewart Stanley (504) 394-2768 / [email protected]


Florida Parishes Area: Diana Brownlee (985) 351-1615 / [email protected]


Jefferson Area: Pudge Doucet (504) 393-7889 / [email protected]


North Central Area: Vacant


Northeast Area: Kenny Johnson (318) 396-6300 / [email protected]


Northwest Area: Charlene Boles & Renee Starret (318) 673-0093 or (318) 218-7547

[email protected] or [email protected]


Orleans Area: Milton Batiste (504) 837-5105 / [email protected]


Red River Area: Donna Ward (318) 352-2369 / [email protected]


Southwest Area: Julie Montague (337) 302-1848 / [email protected]


mailto:[email protected]








In 2010, Special Olympics Louisiana was fortunate enough to have six student interns through the year. The students were from Louisiana State University, Southeastern Louisiana University and Colorado State University. They assisted with a variety of tasks and several conducted their own events. m Esther Ellis assisted with various newsletters, press

releases and promoting National Games participants. m Daniel Reagan was responsible for the Basketball

competitions and Volleyball competitions during state events and hosted a Family Fun Day. This event was a big success and 50 community members participated.

m Shawna Hendrix worked diligently with the Northern Region assisting with various competitions, fundraisers and the Young Athletes program. Shawna hosted a Unified Softball event at Louisiana Tech University. “As much as I wanted to make a difference in their lives, I was touched by their joy every day.”

m Casey Connell worked with every department helping with numerous projects, however she focused on the National Games. Casey conducted a Unified Soccer Day and had over 20 people attend. When asked about her internship, she responded, “Although my curriculum at LSU was enriching, my internship with SOLA was life changing. From learning about being professional in the office to the life lessons learned with the athletes; I truly learned so much”.

m Chris Fairburn responsibilities included running Aquatics at the State Fall Classic and hosting a Unified Basketball Skills Day. The event had more than 75 students and athletes participate.

m Charly Genco interned in Public Relations. She updated contacts, social media sites and hosted a Twister Tournament Fundraiser. Charly was responsible for all aspects of the event which raised over $500! “My internship gave me courage to do something I’ve always wanted to do. I would definitely recommend this internship to other people. Allows you to prepare for real world experiences and interactions with different people.”

President & CEO Pat Carpenter Bourgeois

Vice President of Finance Sylvia Alaniz

Director of Outreach & Area Mgmt. Charlie Courville

Director of Special Projects SE Maria Sanchez

Director of Special Projects SW Katie Bird

Director of Communications & Marketing Tiffany Harvey-Gautier

Director of Volunteer & Program Mgmt. Dana Hickman

Director of Sports and Competition Kevin Collins

Director of Program & Fund Development Qwan Johnson

Director of Individual & Corporate Relations Tiffany King

Assistant Accountant Cherisse Mathews

Executive Assistant Celeste Fox

Office Manager Sharon Lambert

Office Assistant Glenn Drude, Jr.

Chair Ricky Ouber

Alexandria

Vice-Chair Steve Deist Baton Rouge

Secretary Edward Gautier

Ponchatoula

Treasurer William “BeBo” Wilkes

Bossier City

Athlete Representative Rose Garrett Baton Rouge

Joe Alleva Baton Rouge

Mona Brown Lafayette

Dr. A.N. Diodene Plaquemine

Gayle Horaist Carencro

Tristan Manthey

Metairie

Bill McDonald Covington

Kathleen Quatroy Slidell

Charles Trent Lafayette

Special Olympics Louisiana 2010 Annual Report

Documents

Transcript of Special Olympics Louisiana 2010 Annual Report