Unified Sports® Fall Festival Interrupted, Competition to Go On September 23rd and 24th | |
We faced a tough competitor during what was to be a full and exciting first weekend of our Unified Sports® Fall Festival - the weather. Despite the rain-soaked venues and thunderstorms that forced us to cancel sailing competition on Saturday, bocce and golf on Sunday and softball both days, we were able to hold one day of bocce competition at Scalzi Park in Stamford and our sailing teams met up at the Wadawanuck Club in Stonington and managed to get out on the water, play cornhole and enjoy a bbq lunch. We were also able to reschedule our golf event at Sleeping Giant Golf Course to Sunday, September 24th.
In addition to golf, we look forward to partnering with Special Olympics Rhode Island for our annual Fall Sports croquet competition at The Ocean House in Westerly, Rhode Island, Saturday, September 23rd and Sunday, September 24th. A highlight will be Saturday's Unified Croquet Experience during which generous sponsors and donors will have the opportunity to play a round of croquet with our athletes.
Despite the cancellations, we're thankful for all that our coaches, athletes and Unified partners did to make it a successful fall sports season that included practices that focused on teamwork and skillbuilding, a softball invitational at the Pratt & Whitney Aircraft Club in East Hartford and a Croquet Invitational at Elizabeth Park in Hartford. We are also sincerely grateful to our volunteers and sponsors for their true and steady support. These sponsors include:
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Avelo Airlines Plane Pull Fundraiser for Special Olympics - a Spectacular Success! | |
The first-ever Avelo Airlines plane pull to support Special Olympics Connecticut was nothing short of spectacular and a mighty big success! The event was presented by Avelo, hosted by Tweed New Haven Regional Airport, sponsored by WWE, The Prospector Theater and Gemstone Farm and held on September 12th. Fourteen teams who raised at least $2,000, each with 20 members or more, took on a 90,000-pound Avelo Boeing Next-Generation 737-800 aircraft with the goal of pulling it 20 feet with strength and speed.
At the end of the day, the team from Procyon Partners emerged as the winner - pulling the aircraft 20 feet in just 7.19 seconds and earning each of the team's members a free Avelo Airlines round-trip ticket. The top fundraising team was Amped Nation, led by SOCT's own Liza Nolan, Senior Director of Foundations and Grants. The team raised more than $12,000. Special Olympics Connecticut athletes were the biggest winners of the day, as the event raised over $40,000 that will fund sports and health programs for them throughout the year!
The event kicked off with Athlete and Global Messenger Bobby Peterson of Special Olympics Team Marrakech speaking to the crowd about what the Avelo Airlines Plane Pull event means to him. Opening ceremony speakers also included Andrew Levy, Foundation and CEO of Avelo Airlines; Giselle Cortes, Head of Airports for Avelo; Tom Rafter, Executive Director of Tweed New Haven Regional Airport and Sharon Rozum, Senior Director, Partnerships and Corporate Relations for Special Olympics Connecticut. Special Olympics athletes who served as Honorary Team Captains were also on hand to cheer on the participants.
In addition to Amped Nation and the Procyon Pullers, teams included the Naugatuck Police, Hartford HealthCare, The Motivators, the Avon High School Falcons, SOCT's Stars, Avports HVN, Avelo Airlines Team #1, Simsbury and Avon Police, Marcum LLP, Waterford Police, Gemstone Farm and Avelo Airlines Team #2.
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Annual Over the Edge Event Hosted by Mohegan Sun Raises Over $130,000 | |
Over the Edge, hosted and presented by Mohegan Sun, took place on September 1st. The event sold out well in advance of the event date, had 96 participants and raised over $130,000 to benefit our athletes.
An all-star athlete team raised funds and bravely accepted the challenge to rappel 30-plus floors down Mohegan Sun's Sky Tower. For Athlete Abby Snyder, this marked her second year in a row participating in the event. For Athletes Raishaun Holloway and Kyle Bertolini - who rappelled with his cousin Avon Police Officer Erin Cannole - it was their first time going over the edge. Both said they'll do it again next year! For fearless athlete Matt Glad, it was his 13th time rappelling for Special Olympics. For a second consecutive year, he rappelled side-by-side his friend Matt Finkel, Sports Anchor for NBC Connecticut/Telemundo Connecticut, a Year-Round Special Olympics Connecticut Partner Sponsor. To watch Matt Finkel's story about the event that aired on NBC Connecticut, click here.
A VIP rappel day was also held the day before the main event. Participants included Mark Brown - Ambassador, Mohegan Tribal Council, Alysssa Taglia and Laura Hutchinson - Anchors on WTNH News 8, Christie Carpino - Connecticut State Representative, Betty Ann MacDonald - Health & Welfare Executive Officer, Mohegan Tribe, Anne Messier - Director, Casino Marketing, Mohegan Sun and Blaze - the Connecticut Sun Mascot. Special Olympics Chief Inspiration Officer Loretta Claiborne - a Special Olympics icon worldwide - also joined us and rappelled alongside Special Olympics Connecticut President and CEO Mike Mason.
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Dream Ride Delights Athletes from Around the World | |
Dream Ride continues to be a dream-come-true for our athletes and athletes around the world. Thanks to the extraordinary generosity of Michael Bozzuto and the sponsors and partners and Hometown Foundation and Bozzuto's staff that put their heart and soul into organizing the event year-round, the joy it inspires is immeasurable.
Special Olympics athletes representing 39 states and four countries united at the Farmington Club for Dream Ride. The event featured a Friday night polo match and party, Unified activities including basketball, fishing, swimming, Zumba and cornhole, an incredible Dream Cruise through Farmington Valley during which athletes and drivers enjoyed the ride together in classic and exotic cars, a motorcycle ride, car show, police K9 demonstration, firefighter chili contest and attractions and food beyond belief - to delight guests of all interests.
This year's Dream Ride raised an unbelievable $4.2 million for Special Olympics all over and additional charitable organizations.
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Saucier Joins Special Olympics Connecticut Staff
Chaslynn Saucier has joined the staff of Special Olympics Connecticut as Health & Wellness Manager. Chaslynn is an individual whose life journey has been defined by a commitment to fitness, wellness and making a positive impact on the lives of others.
Throughout her college years, Chaslynn was a standout athlete in track and field. Her passion for this demanding sport drove her to have a deep understanding of teamwork, discipline, hard work and perseverance. She strives to bring the same level of dedication to everything else she does in her life.
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However, what truly sets her apart is her profound desire to give back to the community. Beyond the track, she dedicated her life to working with at-risk youth, where she made a lasting impact by designing and facilitating programs aimed at prevention, teaching valuable life skills, and helping individuals manage their anger constructively while navigating through life. Her ability to connect with individuals and guide them towards brighter futures is a testament to her compassion and dedication.
Chaslynn is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Sociology, a field that perfectly aligns with her passion for social change. Her ultimate goal is to establish a non-profit organization that will bring essential amenities to low-income areas. Her vision is to transform communities, creating opportunities and improve the lives of those who need it most.
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Healthy Athletes® Events Coming up in October | |
MedFest
Our Healthy Athletes® MedFest event for current and prospective athletes will take place at the Frank H. Netter MD School of Medicine, 370 Bassett Road in North Haven on Monday, October 16th from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
MedFest will offer the standardized physical screening that all athletes need prior to participating in Special Olympics sports, and every three years thereafter.
To be eligible to participate in MedFest, an athlete's medical form must have expired or will be expiring by March 31, 2024. Appointments must be made in advance by emailing Emily Pitney at emilyp@soct.org or Sue Mohr at susanm@soct.org.
Fitness Festival
Our annual SOCT Fitness Festival will give teams the opportunity to come together and participate in a variety of health and fitness activities. The event will be hosted by The Hartford and held at Liam E. McGee Memorial Park in Hartford on Saturday, October 28th from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. For more information about the event and to sign up to attend, please email Chaslynn Saucier at chaslynns@soct.org.
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Three Fun Ways to Support Special Olympics Connecticut | |
1.Touch-A-Truck Family Night Fundraiser at Chick-fil-A of North Haven
560 Universal Drive in North Haven, Wednesday, October 4th, 4 to 7 p.m.
The event will feature "Touch-A-Truck" - a hands-on opportunity for kids to interact with real emergency vehicles, as well as games and a paint-your-own-pumpkin station donated by Big Y of North Haven! To view the flyer, click here.
2.Calendar Raffle
New this year! We're holding a calendar raffle and will be giving away a prize each day in December. Prizes have a value of $50 or more and include such items as restaurant and grocery store gift cards and an overnight stay at Foxwoods. Tickets are $10 each and can be purchased at upcoming Special Olympics events or online now by clicking here.
3.Superbowl Raffle
Win two (2) tickets to Super Bowl LVII courtesy of the NFL Alumni Association Connecticut Chapter! Tickets are $100 each and may be purchased here.
No more than 250 tickets will be sold and 100% of the proceeds will benefit our athletes. Second prize is $1,000 and third is $500. Tickets must be purchased by midnight, November 1, 2023, and the prize drawing will take place following the Wreaths Across America Ceremony that will be held in Darien on Saturday, December 16, 2023. Winners will be notified by phone.
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Special Olympics Connecticut athletes, parents and coaches had the opportunity to receive CPR and AED training during an event hosted by our Special Olympics Glastonbury program and led by instructors Faith Ferrall and Mike Hokason from our SOCT Medical Services Committee. | | |
Special Olympics Connecticut President & CEO Mike Mason and Athlete and Global Messenger Ray Hadden presented Ed Sheeran, Knights of Columbus Grand Knight and Opening Ceremony emcee, with a token of our appreciation for the Knights volunteering at our Unified Sports® Fall Festival bocce event.
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Hector Sanchez, an athlete and Global Messenger with our Special Olympics Hartford team and Karla Ferrer, an athlete and Global Messenger with Special Olympics West Hartford, were interviewed for stories that will air on Telemundo by Brenda Mulero and Javier José Rodríguez from Telemundo and NBC Connecticut.
Telemundo / NBC Connecicut is a Special Olympics Connecticut Year-Round Partner Sponsor and Media Sponsor.
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Thank you to our Partner Sponsors: | |
Thank you to our Year-Round Suppliers: | |
Back to school means that Special Olympics Unified Sports® school-based programs will be starting up again soon! We can't wait to see what students of all abilities will accomplish on and off the playing field in the months ahead! | |
We welcome your feedback.
Contact us at 203-230-1201 or specialolympicsct@soct.org.
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