Brother, can you spare some time? That’s the message being sent out by the organizer of the local recreation and athletics program for Special Olympics.
Wendy Stiver, chairperson of the local management committee, said the organization is fighting a misconception that these sports aren’t year-round activities, while at the same time looking to attract volunteers.
“Most people think that it’s a one-time event like the summer games,” she said, referring to the province-wide competition the city hosted last year. That event took place in June and saw more than 1,100 athletes and coaches descend on St. Albert.
“They don’t realize that we run programs every week to get them ready for that level of competition.”
Programs currently being offered in St. Albert include five-pin bowling, swimming, floor hockey, soccer, and softball, plus snowshoeing and cross-country skiing through its affiliation with the Lac Ste. Anne group. There is also an athletic club that gives participants a variety of sports to take part in including basketball, indoor soccer, beach volleyball, floor hockey, dodgeball, tobogganing, broomball, and also golf at a local driving range.
Bowling is the most popular activity of the group with more than 120 participants. This means that more volunteers are needed there as well as for the swimming events. A social evening is also held on the last Friday of each month through fall and winter.
If you are interested in helping out, please call Stiver at 780-458-7624. You can learn more about the organization and its activities at www.specialolympics.ab.ca/st-albert. The city will play host once again for the Canadian Special Olympics Winter Games in Feb. 2012.
The Special Olympics began 40 years ago with the goal of not just providing a venue for amateur athletes to compete but to also enrich the lives of people with an intellectual disability through sport. The organization is a registered charity in Alberta and maintains year-round athletics programs for more than 3,000 participants in 18 different sports.
