Impact Update for Thursday, June 9

“Having the games here is such a unifying experience. Let’s open are eyes and our hearts and our minds to people who are different, however they’re different.” -Joe Dzaluk, CEO 2022 Special Olympics USA Games See USA Games story below...

Quote of the Day. Let me win. But if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt. - Special Olympics Athlete Oath

Around The Horn. The 2022 Special Olympics USA Games kicked off Sunday morning with the opening ceremony taking place at Exploria Stadium. The USA Games run through June 12 with most events taking place at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at the Walt Disney Resort. The national competition will feature more than 5,500 athletes and coaches from around the nation, many bringing families who will have plenty of time between events to check out what Central Florida has to offer. Orlando Sentinel Pictures: 2022 Special Olympics USA Games Opening Ceremonies Media Mock Drafts: Who will the Orlando Magic take at No. 1 in the 2022 NBA Draft? Oviedo resident and rising senior standout Chloe Kitts has earned a spot on the USA Basketball Women’s U18 National Team ahead of next week’s FIBA Americas Championship in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Kitts, who will play her senior season at Faith Christian Academy in Orlando, was recently selected from a pool of 30 prospects following a four-day tryout in Colorado Springs. The Orlando Solar Bears have announced its Protected List of players submitted to the ECHL. The team has included 25 players on its Protected List, which is comprised of 13 forwards, nine defensemen and three goaltenders. Orlando City SC has signed Homegrown goalkeeper Mason Stajduhar to a new, three-year contract through 2025 with a Club option in 2026. The new contract will take effect January 2023.  Seminole Boosters Inc., the fundraising arm of Florida State Seminoles athletics, has hired a new CEO and president Stephen Ponder to replace the current FSU athletics director and former CEO Michael Alford. Ponder has served as Executive Vice President of Seminole Boosters for the last 11months, succeeds FSU Vice President and Director of Athletics Michael Alford in the position. Ondrej Palat scored with 42 seconds left and the two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay Lightning beat the New York Rangers 3-2 on Sunday to cut their deficit in the Eastern Conference finals to 2-1. Game 4 is Tuesday night, with New York still in a position to move within one victory of its first trip to the Stanley Cup Finals since 2014. A Kobe Bryant game-worn jersey from 1997 fetched $2.735 million at auction this weekend, officials said Sunday. The jersey was photo matched to the Lakers’ 1997 playoff run, as well as multiple games at the end of Bryant’s rookie regular season, according to SCP Auctions, which said it was the second-highest amount bid for any game-worn basketball jersey. The Orange County Convention Center is hosting several large sporting events with an estimated 426,224 attendees and a projected $565 million in economic impact to the region during the 2021-2022 fiscal year. The competitive youth sporting season commenced this spring, and the OCCC is looking forward to welcoming back this robust market and its positive economic impact for the Convention Center District.  Former Alabama wide receiver Javon Baker is transferring to UCF, he announced on social media Wednesday. Baker recorded 7 catches for 101 yards and a touchdown in 12 games for the Crimson Tide as a sophomore last season. The Greater Orlando Sports Commission unveiled the list of 60 finalists for the 2022 SPORTYS: Greater Orlando’s Night of Champions presented by Orlando Health Jewett Orthopedic Institute. The finalists were selected by a voting committee made up of members of the GO Sports board of directors. Representing 36 different organizations throughout Greater Orlando, the complete list of finalists can be found here along with the corporate partners who are sponsoring the 12 award categories.

In The News. U.S. Travel Association’s IPW 2022, taking place this week in Orlando, will go down in history in more ways than one. Hundreds of racers and walkers participated in the 6th annual CommUNITY Rainbow Run to remember the lives lost in the Pulse tragedy. The sounds of cheers and clapping motivated the participants to push forward while dodging raindrops. And even as they all moved at different speeds, they all felt the beat of one pulse. ​​EA Orlando partnered with local artist Andrew Spear to design a five-story art piece that includes a Madden mural that pays homage to the iconic NFL coach, broadcaster and namesake of the EA Sports Madden NFL video game. The artwork spans five floors and works up the main staircase in the new EA Orlando studio in downtown Orlando’s Creative Village. The Justice Department has named Orange County Sheriff John Mina to a team to aid in a review of the law enforcement response to the Uvalde, Texas, elementary school shooting Orlando is getting another entertainment venue and this time, it’s one centered around golf. Tiger Woods, co-owner of PopStroke Entertainment Group, announced his new golf entertainment venue PopStroke will open on Monday, June 13. A multi-million dollar program is being developed to make accessing mental health care easier for residents of Orange County. In February, a Heart of Florida United Way audit of mental health services exposed a $49.7 million gap between the services that were available to residents and the services that were needed. Disney Cruise Line is preparing to welcome its newest ship, the Disney Wish, to Central Florida later this month. In order to make room at Port Canaveral, the company is shuffling some of its cruise ships around, including the Disney Dream. ICON Park has added the Carousel on the Promenade ride to its line up. It features 30 different animal figures, including horses, deer and zebras. The design of the carousel is reminiscent of hand-carved carousels of the late 1800s and early 1900s. The Orlando Science Center began construction on a new exhibit Wednesday that is set to open next year. The new nature and conservation exhibit, “Life,” will give visitors a chance to explore three unique habitats through hands-on activities to give them a look at our ever-changing world. The exhibit is for both children and adults, featuring the ocean, swamp and rain forest. SeaWorld Orlando shared a first look at its new surfing coaster coming in 2023. Over the past several weeks, construction crews have been clearing land, and SeaWorld said it will announce details about this new attraction over the coming months.

Stay Engaged. On June 10 at 9 a.m., Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings will deliver the 2022 State of the County address, to share highlights of the outstanding accomplishments of Orange County Government and their regional and local partners over the past year and look towards future County milestones. Move your feet to some of the hottest beats during the EPCOT International Flower & Garden Festival. Concerts take place at the America Gardens Theatre in the American Adventure Pavilion. Make a date to catch one of the various artists live at a Garden Rocks concert. During Bite30, participating restaurants offer special prix fixe menus that offer multi-course dinners at a set price of $33. Diners get the opportunity to try multiple dishes on the restaurant’s menu for about the cost of a single entree, and restaurants get to showcase their specialty dishes to the new customers attracted by their Bite30 menu! On June 11, enjoy everything you love about the Orlando Science Center without the kids! Special programming is designed just for adults 21 years or older. There’s no age limit on curiosity, and whether you're looking for a get-together of old friends or a fun date night out, Science Night Live is your chance to let out your inner child and experience the joy of science! Explore interactive exhibit halls, try hands-on experiments in Dr. Dare's Lab, and catch special guest speakers. ​​Rollins College Summer Music Academy is the ultimate a cappella experience with Voctave, designed to advance your vocal a cappella ensemble skills as well as your individual abilities. Singers will engage in a variety of vocal ensembles to experience performing in different styles from June 12-17 - click here for more information! The Orlando Police Department wants to make sure you know how to stay safe if there's ever an emergency situation. Registration is now open for OPD's personal safety class, where trained OPD instructors will teach basic physical techniques and how to be aware of your surroundings. It's on June 23 from 6 - 7:30pm at the Orlando Police Department Community Room. It's a tradition every Father's Day to treat Dad to a free show at SAK Comedy Lab! See their best and brightest performers improvise a comedy show for Dad and the whole family - dads pay nothing for general admission! Curry Ford West's annual Dress Like A Dad Pub Crawl is back! Prepare your punniest jokes and get ready to have a grand old time in some of your favorite local spots. Crawl through the District on Saturday, June 25 with great food and drink specials all along the Curry Ford corridor. The Old Town Classic Car Show has been a local tradition for over 30 years and is one of the premier weekly car shows in Central Florida. The Saturday Classic Car Show begins at 1pm on June 18 and welcomes show-quality 1985 and older hot rods, street rods, and antiques. Cars will cruise at 8:30pm and all cars registered can participate. SeaWorld Orlando and Busch Gardens are now offering military members and up to three guests complimentary one-day admission to the theme park. The offer is valid for qualified service members and veterans, including active, retired, honorably separated officers and enlisted personnel of the U.S. military. Florida residents can save big while visiting Walt Disney World Resort theme parks. Click here to view the current list of special offers. Universal Orlando's Florida resident specials include discounts on vacation packages.

In The Community.

Special Olympics Athlete, Ironman, and friend of GO Sports, Chris Nikic lit the Cauldron at the opening ceremonies to officially open the 2022 Special Olympics USA Games, taking place this week at venues across our community

GO Sports President & CEO Jason Siegel attended the Welcome Dinner for the 2022 Special Olympics USA Games, pictured here with USA Games CEO Joe Dzaluk

GO Sports President & CEO Jason Siegel with Orange County Commissioner Mayra Uribe at the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Metro Orlando's Business Conference

GO Sports President & CEO Jason Siegel attended the Welcome Dinner for the 2022 Special Olympics USA Games, pictured here with Brian Ford, COO of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers

GO Sports President & CEO Jason Siegel attended the Founders Reception for the 2022 Special Olympics USA Games, pictured here with Peter Cancro, Founder and CEO of Jersey Mike's

The GO Sports team spent multiple days volunteering at the 2022 Special Olympics USA Games, pictured here with GO Sports Board Chair Faron Kelley, Vice President of Disney Sports/ESPN Wide World of Sports

The executive team from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, including former GO Sports Board Chairman Dan Malasky, spent a day volunteering on Track and Field events for the 2022 Special Olympics USA Games

The Law Enforcement Torch Run, carrying the Flame of Hope for the 2022 Special Olympics USA Games, arrived in front of Orlando's City Hall last week. USA Games CEO Joe Dzaluk spoke at the ceremony

GO Sports President & CEO Jason Siegel, pictured here with GO Sports Board Member Mike Waterman (Visit Orlando), attended the U.S. Travel Association's IPW 2022

GO Sports President & CEO Jason Siegel and Senior VP Brent Nelson, pictured here with CFHLA's Robert Agrusa, enjoyed the IPW 2022 Destination Downtown Evening event at the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts

Local Resources. Visit these pages for the most critical local health and government updates: City of Orlando: COVID-19 Homepage | Testing Sites | Vaccine Sites Orange County: COVID-19 Homepage | Testing Sites | Vaccine Sites Osceola County: COVID-19 Homepage | Testing Sites | Vaccine Sites Seminole County: COVID-19 Homepage | Testing Sites | Vaccine Sites Lake County: Homepage City of Orlando: The Downtown Development Board (DDB) and Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) created a webpage to assist with identifying grants and incentives that may be available to downtown businesses. Orlando's City Council approved the Safety Awareness for Everyone (S.A.F.E) Program, creating an incentive for businesses and properties to purchase and install security measures that are intended to help deter crime and provide a safer environment for business owners, employees, and visitors. Entertainment businesses including, but not limited to, bars, nightclubs, and entertainment venues located within the City of Orlando’s Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) footprint shall be eligible for funding to purchase and install security measures which include identification scanners, security cameras, and metal detection systems. Other properties located within the CRA shall be eligible for funding to purchase and install security cameras only. Applicants are eligible to receive up to $10,000 or 50% of the total cost of eligible products, whichever is less. Click here for more info and to apply now. Orange County: Orange County’s Emergency Rental Assistance Program remains open for individuals who are behind on rent or at risk of being evicted due to the COVID-19 pandemic. To date, more than $15.3 million have been approved to keep 2,635 families in their homes. Recently, the City of Orlando announced it has depleted its current federal funds dedicated to its Emergency Rental Assistance Program. Orange County is stepping in to bridge the gap and will temporarily offer assistance to Orlando residents, effective now until further notice. Eligible residents include those living in unincorporated Orange County, Apopka, Bay Lake, Belle Isle, Eatonville, Edgewood, Lake Buena Vista, Maitland, Oakland, Ocoee, Orlando, Windermere, Winter Garden and Winter Park. Residents can visit ocfl.net/RentalAssistance to review program details and to check if their address is eligible. CareerSource Central Florida is helping career seekers and displaced workers apply for the Reemployment Assistance program through the Department of Economic Opportunity. Osceola County: Osceola County is currently accepting applications for emergency utility assistance for households impacted by COVID19. Funding is available for electric, gas, and water utilities only. If you reside in Osceola County and your household is impacted, please click here to complete the application. Lake County: For Lake County residents, United Way of Lake and Sumter Counties is able to assist with CARES/ERA/SHIP Federal funds for rent and utilities. For more information on eligibility and documents needed, or to make an appointment, please visit their Family Stability Services page. Seminole County: If you have been impacted by the COVID-19 crisis and live in Seminole County, The Sharing Center is currently accepting applications for rent/mortgage and utilities assistance. Click here for program criteria and to learn how to apply. Additional Resources: The US Small Business Association has compiled a database of private funding options to help small businesses. Browse the options available nationally, or input a zip code to explore location-specific funding.

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