Event Details
Date
: October 6, 2018
Location
: West Des Moines Sheraton
Time
: 6-9 p.m.
Nothing brings fans together like a good old-fashioned tailgate!
Tailgate for Teammates
will offer a sense of camaraderie, inclusion and pride among athletes and their supporters. Guests will indulge in upscale tailgate cuisine, take part in fun and festive sports-themed activities, bid for prizes in an auction, and cheer for athletes competing in upcoming Special Olympics Iowa events.
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Event Details:
Date:
Saturday, October 6th
Time:
Opening Ceremonies begin at 9 a.m. and competition kicks off at 9:30 a.m.
Location:
Forker Building, Iowa State University
State volleyball offers competition to athletes of all ability levels, from competitive to developmental, young and old. Athletes may compete in Team Volleyball (6-on-6)
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Over the Edge presented by
Sammons Financial Group raised $50,000
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Our Annual Over the Edge event presented by
Sammons Financial Group
took place on Tuesday, September 11th from 2-7 p.m. at the Financial Center in downtown Des Moines. Over 40 participants rappelled down the 345 foot building and helped raise more than $50,000 for Special Olympics Iowa!
Thank you to Sammons Financial Group, everyone who went Over the Edge, Iowa State Patrol and all the volunteers for making it another successful year!
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The 2018 State Flag Football tournament will take place on Saturday, October 13th at Metro Youth Football Complex in Cedar Rapids. This state competition gives athletes of all ability levels the chance to play America's game. Flag football is a 5-on-5 non-contact sport played by male and female athletes and teams are divided into three levels. Registrations were due on Friday, September 21st.
Click here for more information
on State Flag Football.
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Ready, set, FREEZE!
It's Polar Plunge
®
time! Are you brave enough to face the cold and help raise money for Special Olympics Iowa? Get your freeze on at one of the locations below:
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Fall Polar Plunge
®
Dates:
Davenport
- Saturday, October 27, West Lake Park Beach
Siouxland
- Saturday, October 27, Bown's Lake, Salix
Dubuque
- Saturday, November 17, Dubuque Water Sports Club
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On Saturday, November 17th our Annual State Bowling competition will take place in four locations. Bowling is one of the most popular sports in Special Olympics. Athletes may participate in: singles, doubles, team (four-person), unified doubles (one SOIA athlete with one Unified partner), or a unified team (two SOIA athletes with two Unified partners). Registrations are due on
Friday, October 19th
. *please note that lunch will not be provided during the state bowling competition.
2018 State Bowling locations:
- Westdale Bowl, 2020 Scotty Dr, Cedar Rapids
- Bowlerama, 1313 E Diehl Ave, Des Moines
- Merle Hay Lanes, 3800 Merle Hay Rd, Des Moines
- Thunderbowl, 1900 Madison Ave, Council Bluffs
We are still looking for volunteers! Sign up to volunteer by
clicking here.
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SOIA Athletes Attended World Games Training Camp Sept. 17-21
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Brandon Baier from Atlantic and Abbi Stastny from Cedar Rapids will join nearly 230 other athletes from across the United States to make up Special Olympics USA. The entire Special Olympics USA team will have 323 total members. The games in Abu Dhabi next March will include 170 countries, 7000 athletes, 3000 coaches and 20,000 volunteers. The World Games will be the world’s largest humanitarian and sporting event in 2019.
Both Brandon and Abbi will participate in athletics during the World Games. Brandon, a high performance athlete, will compete in the 100 M Dash, Shot Put and will anchor a 4 x 100 M relay team. Abbi will compete in either a 200 M Dash or 400 M Dash, Shot Put and will also anchor a 4 x 100 M relay team.
Brandon and Abbi attended the World Games training camp September 17 – 21. The camp provided an opportunity for all of the athletes to meet their teammates and coaches from around the country. It also provided coaches the chance to determine the ability levels of the athletes. The athletes were trained and prepared in their selected sport for competition against athletes from around the world.
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University of Iowa Unified Intramural Program
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The University of Iowa Recreational Services Department and the UI Special Olympics Student Organization have adopted the Unified Sports Concept and implemented this into their official Intramural programs.
The University is offering Unified Flag Football, Unified Volleyball and Unified Basketball this school year. The objective of this program is to help SOIA athletes develop skills and knowledge about each of these sports while building friendships with the University student Unified Partners! Each of these programs are six week long courses which eventually end with Championship Games being hosted in Kinnick Stadium, Carver-Hawkeye Arena and the Fieldhouse. Registrations are currently open for Volleyball and Basketball. Please contact
Bryan Coffey
for more information.
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More from the Unified Movement...
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Special Olympics Iowa athletes are making BIG things happen at Kennedy High School in Cedar Rapids. Jack Hoeger was crowned as Homecoming King and Larin Krautbauer has made it on the senior girls swim team! Larin has been swimming since age of two and has been swimming competitively since middle school! Larin's mother said, “This experience has been fantastic for her, allowing her to develop friendships she may never have had, and improve her social skills and relationships.” If you’d like to learn more about how you can
UNIFY your school
, please contact
Bryan Coffey
.
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Honk Honk! The
Truck Convoy
for Special Olympics is a national one-day celebration of the trucking industry, allied partners and law enforcement all working together to help raise money for Special Olympics Iowa.
Iowa’s law enforcement officers will escort the Convoy from Veterans Parkway (exit 101 off Highway 5) and travel 20 miles to the Iowa State Fairgrounds. Special Olympics Iowa athletes and families, community organizations, companies and law enforcement agencies welcome the truckers as they enter the fairgrounds for lunch and a celebration with awards to recognize participating truckers for the support they give to Special Olympics. A special thanks to Niece Trucking for their sponsorship.
Date:
Saturday, October 6, 2018
Location:
Veterans Parkway to Iowa State Fairgrounds (celebration at Jalapeno Pete's) - Des Moines
Cost:
$100 per participant
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Athlete Leadership Conference
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The
Athlete Leadership
Conference is coming up on Friday November 9
th
and Saturday November 10
th
. This is for all current Global Messengers and Speech Coaches as well as those wanting to become a Global Messenger. There are 3 spots left for new Global Messengers and Speech Coaches. All registrations are due by October 24
th
.
Click here
for more information and registration forms. All questions should be directed to
Wendy Olinger
.
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Truck Raffle ticket sales have ended. The winner will be announced at the Tailgate for Teammates event on Saturday, October 6th- stay tuned to find out who won!
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Dunkin' Donuts Cop on a Rooftop
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Our 4th Annual
Dunkin' Donuts
#coponarooftop event took place on Friday, September 7th at 21 locations. Over $30,000 was raised for Special Olympics Iowa, making Dunkin' Donuts officially a Premier Statewide Partner for Special Olympics Iowa! A final check presentation will be coming soon.
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The 2018 Special Olympics Iowa
Equestrian Competition
took place on September 15th at the Jester Park Equestrian Center in Polk County. Nearly 30 athletes competed.
Athletes were able to compete in one or two individual events including horsemanship, egg and spoon, barrel racing, ball drop, key hole race, pole bending and baton relay.
Thank you to over 60 volunteers from the Jester Park Equestrian Center, the Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine and the community who assisted with the competition.
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Culver's ButterBurgers and Badges
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30 Culver's throughout the state of Iowa participated in the First Annual ButterBurgers and Badges event on Thursday, August 2nd from 4-8 p.m. Local law enforcement helped to serve customers and collected
tips and donations
for Special Olympics. Athletes were also present at locations, thanking customers for their support. $1 from each concrete mixer sold that day was also donated back to Special Olympics. A total of over $16,000 was raised.
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“Fall into Fitness” is a walking club designed to enable Special Olympics Iowa athletes and Unified Partners opportunities to become more active. Miles/activity will be recorded on a
bi-weekly basis for a 10 week period. Miles will be used in a competition and incentives based format. Individuals and teams with the highest average miles will receive awards at the conclusion of “Fall into Fitness.” In addition the 5-station FIT Program pre- and post-assessments will be completed to record fitness progress. This is a 10-week program that will begin October 2nd and end December 6th. If you have questions about this program, please email
Hannah Clavell.
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Special Olympics Iowa Hall of Fame
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The SOIA Hall of Fame was created in 2018 by the Board of Directors as a way to recognize longevity and achievement of athletes and volunteers with the organization. A voting committee, appointed by the Hall of Fame Chair, is responsible for reviewing all nominations and voting for the inductees. A permanent display will be housed at the Special Olympics Iowa kiosk at the Hall of Pride in downtown Des Moines and Special Olympics Iowa State office in Grimes will also be host to a display.
*To learn more about the athlete and volunteer prerequisites, nominations, the voting committee, voting process, inductees, and the award please click more info below.
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2018 marks 50 years for the Special Olympics. That means 50 years of our volunteers, staff, and supporters working tirelessly to achieve our mission – a world without discrimination. A world where individuals with intellectual disabilities can tap their untold potential and live their lives to the fullest.
Special Olympics Iowa asks you to join us in celebrating 50 years of bliss, bravery and empowerment by donating in our
$50 for 50 campaign
in honor of the 50th Anniversary of Special Olympics. With each $50 donation, donors will get their choice of a limited-edition commemorative 50th Anniversary Gold Pin or Gold Coin.
Special Olympics Iowa is so proud of what has been accomplished over the past 50 years. With 5 million served in over 172 countries, we have changed many lives all over the world. Help us continue to make a difference in athlete’s lives.
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Karaoke Night at Jeannie's Bottle
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Athletes are invited to Jeannie's Bottle for a karaoke night on Tuesday, October 9th from 4-7 p.m. This is a
Halloween themed night
, so dress up in your favorite costume!
Date:
Tuesday, October 9th
Location:
3839 Merle Hay Rd, Des Moines, IA
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Discounted Iowa Tickets for SOIA Athletes
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The Iowa Hawkeyes invite all Special Olympics Iowa athletes and their families to enjoy the excitement of Iowa Hawkeye football this fall. Take advantage of discounted group rates to five home games. Youth tickets are only $25 for high school ages and younger. Adult ticket prices vary for each game.
Game Options:
October 20
– Iowa vs Maryland. Time: TBA. Regular ticket price: $65
Adult Tickets: $55. Youth Tickets: $25.
November 10
– Iowa vs Northwestern. Time: TBA. Regular ticket price: $65
Adult Tickets: $55. Youth Tickets: $25.
November 23
– Iowa vs Nebraska. Time: TBA. Regular ticket price: $75
Adult Tickets: $60. Youth Tickets: $25.
Orders will be seated together. Orders are filled on a first come, first serve basis. Game may be subject to sellout. Tickets are mailed 2-4 weeks prior to each game. For questions or to order by phone, contact Bravo Sports at 319-626-8286.
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Coaches' Guide Available Online!
The 2018-2019 SOIA Coaches' Guide is now available on our
website
!
Trainings
Getting involved as a coach and re-certification is now easier than ever!
Check out our new "Become a Coach" page:
You can now become certified/re-certified
ONLINE
!
Registration Forms Available Online
Registration forms for Challenge Days and Young Athlete Play Days are now available online! Go to the
Participation Forms
page on our website to view registration forms for all SOIA events.
Share Your Story!
Do you know someone with a great story to share? We're always looking to share our athletes' stories in the newsletter. If you have a story idea for us about an athlete, coach, volunteer, or family please email Rachel Bosworth at
[email protected]
for a chance for them to be featured in the newsletter!
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Event Calendar
October
2- SW Area Bowling (Ages 8-21)
3- East Area Bowling (Maquoketa)
5- SC Area Bowling (Ages 8-29)
6- State Volleyball Tournament
6- Sioux City Unified Golf Tournament
6- East Central Area Adult Bowling
6- Central Area Bowling
6- SC Bowling (Ages 30+)
6- NW Area Bowling (LeMars)
6- Tailgate for Teammates
6- Truck Convoy
7- NW Area Bowling (Denison)
9- SW Area Bowling (Ages 22+)
11- Buena Vista University Unified Sports Day
11- North Central Area Bowling
11- Sioux City Young Athlete Play Day
12- NW Area Bowling (Sioux City)
13- State Flag Football
13- NW Area Bowling (Sioux City)
13- NW Area Bowling (Sanborn)
13- NE Area Bowling
15- WC Area Bowling (Pleasant Hill)
16- EC Area Youth Bowling
17- North Area Bowling
18- WC Area Bowling (Bowlerama)
19- Dubuque Challenge Day
19- WC Area Bowling (Bowlerama)
20- Southeast Area Bowling - Adults
22- Southeast Area Bowling - Youth & Ramp
26- River Hills Challenge Day
27- Siouxland Polar Plunge
27- Davenport Polar Plunge
November
4- Fort Dodge Polar Plunge
8- Muscatine Young Athlete Play Day
9- Athlete Leadership Conference
13- SW Area Unified Sport Training Day (Treynor)
15- NW Area Unified Sport Training Day (Cherokee)
16- NE Rollerskating
17- State Bowling
17- Dubuque Polar Plunge
26 - NAIA Volleyball Special Olympics Clinic
30- Council Bluffs Young Athlete Play Day
December
2- West Des Moines Polar Plunge
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