GMSO Athletes to Special Olympics Summer Games

Twenty athletes with the Greater Middletown Special Olympics are ready to compete at the 2011 Special Olympics Connecticut State Summer Games this weekend June 10-12 hosted by Southern Connecticut State University & Yale University in New Haven and the Hamden Hall School in Hamden.

The Greater Middletown Special Olympics Athletes will be among 2,351 Athletes and Partners, 500 Coaches & 2,900 Volunteers from across the state. Nineteen Greater Middletown Special Olympics Athletes will be competing in Track & Field events & one athlete in Cycling. The Head Track & Field Coach is Heather Ann Lodini of Cromwell & the Assistant Coach is Terry Shepard of Middletown. The Head Cycling Coach is Jim Swol of Cromwell. 

The following are the athletes in the Greater Middletown Special Olympics who will be competing this weekend:

Cromwell: Kevin Henneberry, Scott Knee, & Ralph Lill. 

Durham: Charlie Larsen, Chris Naples, & Richard Steele.

Middlefield: David Crovo & Indiana McCormick. 

Middletown: James Brown, Ken Campanelli, Carol Carlson, Melissa Carta, Ed Hill, Anna Kozinski, Scott Maloney, Bobby McElroy, Tim Mohr, Essence Rios, Katherine Thayer, Scott Thayer. 

The 2011 Special Olympics Connecticut Summer Games will begin on Friday with several events taking place beginning at 12 p.m. From 12 p.m.-4 p.m., the 200 M Run, the 200 M Wheelchair Race & the 400 M Walk will take place at the Yale Athletic Fields.  From 1:30 p.m.-4 p.m, the Developmental Aquatics Competition will take place at Pelz Gymnasiusm at Southern Connecticut State University.

The Opening Ceremonies will officially start the weekend's competitions at 7:15 p.m. It will be held at the Moore Field House at Southern Connecticut State University and will include the Parade of athletes, the ceremonial lighting of the Olympic Flame of Hope & entertainment. Southern Connecticut State University will host  the Aquatics, Cycling, Gymnastics, Racewalking & Tennis events as well as provide housing for the athletes for the 3 day event.  

Yale University's athletic fields will host the Track & Field events.  The Hamden Hall School in Hamden will host the soccer competitions. 

To see the master schedule for the day's competition at the Special Olympics CT State Summer Games please click on the link.

For more information about the Special Olympics Connecticut State Summer Games and how to volunteer for the games please call Special Olympics Connecticut at 1-800-443-6105 and online at www.soct.org. 

I hope everyone will come out and support the Special Olympics Athletes at the Special Olympics Connecticut State Summer Games this weekend.  I hope everyone will become a fan of Special Olympics.  I updated my photography blog about the Special Olympics and you will be able to see new images from the Special Olympics Connecticut-Eastern Regional Games in Hartford on May 7. 

Please visit http://franklphotographyblog.blogspot.com/.  Also, I am including a great You Tube video about the Special Olympics on my blog titled "Be A Fan Of Special Olympics."  Here is the link to the video:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tO7Z3hrLm9g.  See You At The Games & Be A Fan Of Special Olympics!

The Greater Middletown Special Olympics serves athletes with intellectual disabilities ages 8 & above in a variety of well-coached Olympic type sports who reside in Cromwell, Durham, East Haddam, East Hampton, Haddam, Middlefield, Middletown & Portland. 

Special Olympics is an international organization that changes lives by encouraging and empowering people with intellectual disabilities, promoting acceptance for all, and fostering communities of understanding and respect worldwide.

Founded in 1968 by Eunice Kennedy-Shriver, the Special Olympics movement has grown from a few hundred athletes to nearly 3.7 million athletes in over 170 countries in all regions of the world, providing year-round sports training, athletic competition, health screenings, and other related programs. Special Olympics provides people with intellectual disabilities continuing opportunities to realize their potential, develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage, experience joy and friendship. Please Visit the Special Olympics website at www.specialolympics.org & www.soct.org.