Special Olympics New Mexico: January & February 2025 | |
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Poly Hockey
Special Olympics athletes are currently training to compete in poly hockey and poly hockey skills leading up to Area and State Games. The 2025 State Poly Hockey Championships will be held February 28 - March 1 in Farmington. Best of luck to all Special Olympics athletes!
Chocolate for Champions at Chick-fil-A
Visit New Mexico Chick-fil-A locations during February and a portion of your cookie or brownie purchase will support Special Olympics New Mexico!
Special Olympics USA Games 2026 Updates
Our USA Games Coaches Application is available and due on February 14. Info and dashboard link are included below. *Athlete applications become available in March, so talk to your coaches now if you are interested in learning more and applying.
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Thoughts from Randy:
Here's To You Chris Page
July 6, 1993
Mr. Chris Page
108 Russell
Carlsbad, NM 88220
Dear Chris:
I couldn’t leave work today without writing to share with you how pleased I am that you will be joining our staff. I am very thankful that you have accepted the position and feel totally confident in your ability to make us better!
As your new boss, please be assured of my commitment to doing everything possible to help make your professional and personal experience with New Mexico Special Olympics a fulfilling one. I am a firm believer that if we remain challenged and enthusiastic on a daily basis, our athletes will benefit, and as you know, that’s what it’s all about.
You will receive a starting salary of $26,000.
Sincerely,
Randy Mascorella, Executive Director
And so it began 31 years ago. Chris was hired as our Director of Sports and Competition to strengthen a sports program chain that had many missing links. With a Master’s degree in Sports Administration, he came to us with a clear picture of what a strong sports program should look like, and since his first day on the job, he thoughtfully developed new systems, protocols, and policies that reflected his style of leadership. He knew what needed to get done and how to get there, and he was always protective of the integrity of sport so that what was in his control provided our athletes with a quality sports experience. He redefined our Area structure, trained and hired new Area Directors, developed our Coaches and Athlete Codes of Conduct, and over the years proudly took Team New Mexico to Special Olympics USA Games and World Games. Chris possessed the ability to think and dream out loud, which made all of us count on him for new and greater possibilities. In 2023, he was awarded Special Olympics North America’s first Sports Staff of the Year award. His impact was not only felt here in New Mexico, but across our country...
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Upcoming 2025 Competitions & Events | |
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State Poly Hockey Championships
February 28 - March 1
State Summer Games
May 30 - June 1
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2025 Special Olympics New Mexico Board of Directors
Executive Committee:
Chairman, Dub Girand, Retired
1st Vice Chairman, Warren Ellis, Capital Strategies
2nd Vice Chairman, Ryan Danoff, Danoff Law Firm
Treasurer, Dacia Card, Retired
Secretary, Valeria Olave, WESST
Board Members:
Randi Bressler, HP
Jesse Canterbury, Special Olympics Athlete
Ryan Garcia, Bank of Albuquerque
Susan Hansen, Next Steps Family Office, LLC
Chris Hudson, University of New Mexico
Sara Limon, Ardent - Lovelace Market
Art Montoya, Retired
Karen Pace, Retired
Tom Padilla, HUB International
Greg Templeton, Retired
Adam Trubow, TAL Realty
Honorary Board Members:
Jack Eichorn, Retired
Mark Wiggins, Retired
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Chocolate for Champions is back in February! Visit any New Mexico Chick-fil-A location during February and a portion of your chocolate cookie or brownie purchase supports Special Olympics New Mexico. Thank you to Chick-fil-A New Mexico for your continued support of Special Olympics athletes! | |
On behalf of the 3,200 Special Olympics New Mexico athletes and their families, thank you for your participation in our 2024 Posole Ole Fun Walk. Because of your fundraising efforts through November and December for Posole Ole, we are proud to report that we raised $36,900! We could not have done this without our fundraisers and sponsors. Special thanks to Swire Coca-Cola, AON, Harnick Orthodontics, El Pinto, Ferrellgas, Rudy’s & Albuquerque Isotopes! | |
Congratulations to all of our top fundraisers in 2024!
Individual Fundraisers:
1st Place – Karen Fleetwood
2nd Place – Elijah Fields
3rd Place – Emily Hoffman
Team Fundraisers:
1st Place: Rio Rancho Rockets - $16,764
2nd Place – ABQ Strikeforce - $5,620
3rd Place – ASLA Honey Badgers - $3,290
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Special Olympics Athlete of the Game
Thank you to French Funerals & Cremations and UNM for creating memorable experiences for Special Olympics athletes Ebony, Chris, Jonathan, and Ezra at recent UNM Basketball games! We appreciate your support!
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State Poly Hockey Championships | | |
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Poly Hockey season is here! Special Olympics athletes across New Mexico are currently training to compete in poly hockey and poly hockey skills leading up to their Area competitions and the State Poly Hockey Championships. The 2025 State Poly Hockey Championships will be held February 28-March 1 in Farmington. | |
Explore Northwest New Mexico
Check out the New Mexico True guide to the Northwest Region of New Mexico as you plan your State Poly Hockey weekend.
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The coaches education multi-sport clinic for 2025 has been cancelled and we will reschedule it for 2026. *The Athlete Leadership training in Hobbs is TBD and we will share updates soon. Thank you for understanding! | |
Health & Explore Wellness | |
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Coming Soon in March/April – Sign up now!
New Mexico United TOPSoccer
We are so excited and proud to welcome you to New Mexico United TOPSoccer, a FREE program aimed at helping New Mexicans of EVERY ability level fall in love with the Beautiful Game!
Learn how to become a TOPSoccer Athlete, Coach, or Buddy! Sign up today!
Sundays starting March 2nd – April 6th at Kraemer Fields in Albuquerque.
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Presbyterian Community Classes
Please visit the website link for updates on ongoing and monthly cooking and fitness classes!
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Arts Connections
For ALL Abilities! Arts Connections is our newest partnership offering Online Adaptive Yoga and Art activities!
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Fitness Tips on the Remind App
Join our SONM Explore Wellness on the Remind App to get fitness tips and updates on Explore Wellness events.
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Stay active in the Albuquerque community with the many free or low cost activities and events at your local Albuquerque Community Centers, such as Zumba, Yoga, Tai-Chi, Pickleball and more! Get a free membership today!
If you need assistance signing up, view instructions or email ben@sonm.org for more information.
For more events and resources check out UNM CDD Finder website and their Events Calendar!
For more information about Explore Wellness and any of our activities and events, please contact ben@sonm.org
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Explore Wellness Survey
The Special Olympics Explore Wellness program seeks to serve the community through health and wellness activities, resources and opportunities.
To better understand the needs of our community, please complete a short survey about your personal experience with health and wellness.
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New Mexico Law Enforcement Torch Run (NMLETR) | |
Connect with Special Olympics New Mexico | |
Click below to view the digital True Adventure Guide! | |
Special Olympics New Mexico Board of Directors | |
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Executive Committee:
Chairman, Dub Girand; Vice Chairman, Warren Ellis; Vice Chairman, Ryan Danoff; Treasurer, Dacia Card; Secretary, Valeria Olave
Board Members:
Randi Bressler, Jesse Canterbury, Ryan Garcia, Susan Hansen, Chris Hudson, Sara Limon, Art Montoya, Karen Pace, Tom Padilla, Greg Templeton, Adam Trubow, and honorary board members Jack Eichorn and Mark Wiggins
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Please add sonm@sonm.org to your email contacts list to ensure proper delivery of the e-newsletter. | | | | |
