Project UNIFY - Special Olympics Oklahoma

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4 2 n d A N N U A L S U M M E R G A M E S
Special Olympics athletes numbering in the thousands met in Stillwater May 11
through 13, 2011 to celebrate the 42nd Annual Summer Games held in Oklahoma.
More than 4,300 Special Olympics Oklahoma athletes registered to attend. Special
Olympics Oklahoma staff and hundreds of volunteers were on hand to offer support
during three days full of competitions, Olympic-style ceremonies, Olympic Village,
food, housing, and many fun activities.
Athletes started arriving in Stillwater on Wednesday morning, May 11. They traveled
from the 14 geographic areas of Oklahoma where they had completed competitions
in their local areas.
Special Olympics Oklahoma athletes competed at Summer Games in the following
sports: Athletics (Track and Field), Bocce, Bowling, Golf, Horseshoes, Powerlifting,
Unified 3-on-3 Basketball, and Unified Softball. Other events included Motor
Activities and Stars of the Future.
Opening Ceremonies on Wednesday evening, May 11 at Gallagher Iba Arena
began with the traditional Parade of Athletes. The theme for Opening Ceremonies
was “SUPER HEROES of Special Olympics.” Barry Switzer, Head Coach of Special
Olympics Oklahoma and Heather Hancock, 2011 Athlete of the Year concluded
Opening Ceremonies with the Special Olympics Oath and declared that the 2011
Special Olympics Summer Games were officially OPEN.
The Law Enforcement Torch Run celebrated their 25 year anniversary in Oklahoma
this year. They escorted the Parade of Athletes, carried the Flame of Hope
into the arena, and rappelled into Gallagher Iba Arena.
The presenting sponsor for Opening Ceremonies was COX Communications. Other
premier sponsors for Summer Games included Cherokee Nation, Hard Rock Hotel &
Casino Tulsa, Law Enforcement Torch Run, The J.E. & L.E. Mabee Foundation, McDonald’s
of Oklahoma, Third Combat Communications Group of Tinker Air Force Base,
Sonic Corporation and Walmart Foundation.
Elks Provide Support to Special Olympics for 42 Years
Members of the Stillwater Elks have cooked smoked chicken for the Special
Olympics Oklahoma Summer Games Committee for more than 25 years. They also
provide hamburgers and hot dogs for the annual Coaches Camp in Stillwater. However,
cooking chicken, hamburgers and hot dogs is not the only support Special
Olympics Oklahoma receives from the Stillwater
Elks. The Summer Games Committee
meets months in advance of Summer Games
and the Stillwater Elks graciously open their
doors for those meetings.
Why do they do it? “We enjoy seeing the satisfaction
of the Special Olympics athletes. We
started out to help with Special Olympics in the
Stillwater area and now 25 years later we support
Special Olympics Oklahoma statewide. It gets in
your blood, and you just can’t say no,” said Pat
Lewis, co-chairman of the Stillwater Elks Community
Service Committee.
Dwight Stoddard, co-chair of the Stillwater Elks Community Service Not only do the Elks support Special Olympics
Committee; Linda Thrasher, Exalted Ruler of Stillwater Elks Lodge at the local level but statewide as well. They Okla-
#1859; and Pat Lewis, co-chair of the Stillwater Elks Community
Service Committee.
homa Elks Major Projects have been with Special
Olympics every step of the way during our 42
years of history. They have sponsored medals and ribbons for our athletes at the Summer
Games for many years and have also generously contributed toward the purchase
of a new vehicle every couple of years.
Thank you, Elks for your long-standing dedication to Special Olympics Oklahoma.
The 27 minute long 2011 Summer Games Video Production is available for
viewing at: http://www.sook.org/public-service-announcements--videos.html
Thank you to Cox Communications and OETA for airing the 2011 Summer
Games video production numerous times in September and October.