If you live outside Champaign, Douglas, Ford, Iroquois, Kankakee, Piatt, or Vermilion Counties in Illinois, USA and would like more information about getting involved in SO, check out our "Cool Links" page.
Webrings
What
is Special Olympics?
I have noticed a few errors people make about Special Olympics.
- Most people misunderstand who is eligible for Special Olympics. In order to be a Special Olympics athlete, you must be intellectually disabled.
- Having only an emotional handicap (BD, ED, et al) does not make you eligible.
- Having only a learning disability does not make you eligible. Albert Einstein, even though he was dyslexic, could not have competed.
- Having only a physical disability does not make you eligible. You will not see Jean Driscoll compete in a traditional Special Olympics competition.
- Having said all that, there is an exception. In certain sports, depending on where you live, there is a group called Unified. Unified means that two athletes, one a Special Olympics athlete and one not, compete together. Or, for team sports, half of the athletes are Special Olympics athletes and half are not. This year Special Olympics Illinois will have Unified competitions for Bocce, Golf, and Tennis. Ideally, the two athletes will be similar in ability. We once had a Unified Bocce Doubles compete at Summer Games. It was a dad (not)/daughter (athlete) combination that earned a Gold medal! This year, we're looking at two parent/athlete doubles for Short Court Tennis.
- The other mistake people make is to use the word "the" in front of Special Olympics. "The" indicates a once-a-year event. If I remember correctly, there is an average of one SO competition every day in Illinois. If you add in all the rest of the chapters in the USA
and all of the chapters in the rest of the world, I can well imagine 20-50 competitions every day!
If you have any other questions, go ahead and put them in our guestbook. If you are doing research for a paper, presentation, or speech, PLEASE ask specific questions. This will allow you to get the best information possible. I am very good about answering emails, but if you haven't asked specific questions, my answers will depend on how much I feel like typing and what comes to mind at the moment.
Announcements
Welcome to our new athlete, JT.
Fundraisers
Becaue of a company I found, we are now going to start recycling inkjet cartridges. If you would like to contribute or need more information, email Amber or put it in the Guest Book. This is the only way we will respond for this fundraiser.
We are aware that Special Olympics Illinois also has a fundraiser involving used inkjet cartridges. IF we had been able to make contact with that company in any of the several ways we tried, we would not be doing our inkjet cartridge fundraiser.
Wish List
- New or Used Sports Equipment
- Digital Video Camera or
- Campbell's Soup Labels
mail to:
Centennial Special Olympics
2319 Blackthorn
Champaign, IL, USA
61821
Donations (except Soup Labels) are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.
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it's in bold, that means either we're doing it now, just finished it, or soon will be doing it.)
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????? please put them in our guestbook
I guess I ought to take credit for what I have done
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Last updated
30 September 2007
