Delco Special Olympics engages athletes in virtual training
The high-fives will be virtual. The training sessions are done via Zoom. And the skill competitions will be done in the backyard. But “social distancing” won’t stop the spirit and engagement of Delaware County Special Olympics as the summer and fall sports continue with online training programs.
The coronavirus pandemic has forced Special Olympics to curtail inperson sports training activities that put the athletes and volunteers at risk. In-person trainings were halted in March in accordance with state Department of Health and U.S. Centers for Disease Control guidelines.
Under the direction of new Delaware County manager Sean Gallagher, Special Olympics will offer its fall sports program through online training activities designed to support and engage the athletes. The priority of the fall plan is the health and safety of all participants: athletes, coaches, volunteers, family members and caregivers.
New and veteran athletes are invited to visit the county website at www.sodelco.com to register for sports they are interested in and to learn how to participate online. They will need to have a current medical on file with the county office. The new address is Box 1202, Havertown, PA 19083.
“These are challenging times for our athletes with intellectual disabilities but, like they always do, they will rise to the occasion and learn new ways to participate,” Gallagher said. “It’s hard and isolating for our athletes who rely on Special Olympics for fitness, recreation and socialization, but we are working very hard to maintain the relationships, the fitness and the fun in a safe way.”
Gallagher lives in Havertown with his wife, Katie Bonnell. They have been involved for 10 years as Special Olympics volunteers and Katie was very active with the Fall Festival state games as a student at Villanova University. Katie’s brother, Greg Bonnell, is a Special Olympics athlete.
Gallagher took over as manager in 2020 when longtime manager Denise
Dellaratta retired. His management team includes Susan Heaney, assistant manager; Roberta Melnyk, treasurer; Kathryn McKeone, competition coordinator; Paul Insley, fundraising; Michael McGowan, training coordinator; Frank Altrichter, volunteer coordinator; and Trish Cofiell, public relations.
Starting in mid-August, the online training programs will begin at the direction of each sport’s head coach. Individuals with intellectual disabilities age 8 and older are invited to sign up. Most trainings start this month and run through early November when Pennsylvania Special Olympics plans to hold a virtual Fall Festival competition.
Athletes can visit the website at sodelco.com to see the summer/fall schedule. To register, send an email with name and contact information to register.sopadelco@gmail.com. Medical forms need to be completed and sent to the local Special Olympics office at Box 1202, Havertown, PA 19083.
Participants should note that this is a new email and mailing address for the Delaware County program. Donations to Delaware County Special Olympics can also be sent to the Havertown address.
Family members and community individuals interested in volunteering or coaching can learn about the qualification process through the state SO website at www.specialolympicspa.org.
Pennsylvania Special Olympics also offers online training videos such as Commit to Fit, School of Strength and Going for Gold. The state site is www.specialolympicspa.org.
The mission of Special Olympics is to provide year-round sports training and athletic competition in a variety of Olympic-type sports for children and adults with intellectual disabilities, giving them continuing opportunities to develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage, experience joy and participate in a sharing of gifts, skills and friendship with their families, other Special Olympics athletes and the community.
Today, Special Olympics stands as a leader in the field of intellectual disability and has sharpened the focus on its mission as not just a sports organization for people with intellectual disabilities, but also an effective catalyst for social change.
The Special Olympics movement unlocks the joy of sport to inspire people to open their minds to human giftedness, to accept, include and value people with intellectual disabilities in all aspects of life, and thereby unite people in a shared belief of a more just and welcoming world.
Red Cross holds blood drive at Blue Church
The Red Cross will hold a local blood drive at the Blue Church,
940 Baltimore Pike, Springfield,
2-7 p.m. Monday, Aug. 10.
Those who donate will be entered to win a trip for four in 2020 or 2021 to Cedar Point or Knott’s Berry Farm. Prize includes travel, accommodations, park admission as well as special experience items to make the most of the trip.
To register to donate, call
1-800-RED-CROSS and use sponsor code “Blue Church.”
Veterans bagged lunch event on Friday
State Rep. David Delloso, D-162 of Ridley Park, will host a Veterans
Bagged Lunch and Legislative Update from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday, Aug. 7, at Collingdale Borough Hall, in the back parking lot, 800 MacDade Blvd.
Participants must RSVP for the event by calling 610-534-1002. The event is free and open to all veterans and their spouses and families.
For the safety of the public and Delloso’s staff, all residents attending the event are asked to wear a mask and practice social distancing. If residents need a mask, one will be provided. Veterans can take their bagged lunch with them or park and stay to talk with the representative and eat at one of the outdoor tables provided for this event at the borough hall. Staff will be on hand throughout the event to provide constituent services.
Entries due in Pennsylvania litter photo contest
A Pennsylvania Litter Summit held in Harrisburg in late 2019 determined that approximately 502.5 million pieces of litter are on Pennsylvania roadways, and that increased awareness and education are key to moving toward a resolution to the problem. Just take a stroll around your neighborhood or nearby park and this will become quite evident!
In an effort to increase awareness, the Pennsylvania Resources Council (PRC) continues to encourage participation in its annual Gene Capaldi Lens on Litter Photo Contest. Amateur students through 12th grade and adults are asked to submit photos of unsightly litter in their Pennsylvania communities by the October
31st deadline.
Photos should demonstrate how litter threatens public health and safety, scenic beauty, property values, the environment, pets or wildlife. Entries will be judged on six criteria: anti-litter message, originality, photographic technique, quality of photo, originality of title and severity of the litter. Contestants are also encouraged to safely initiate a cleanup of the subject area and provide a photo of the results of their efforts for additional judging points.
First, second and third place prizes will be awarded in each category with the first-place winner receiving
$500, second-place $250 and thirdplace $100.
Entries are limited to five per person, should be no smaller than 4x6 and no larger than 8x10 and can be sent to PRC Gene Capaldi Lens on Litter Contest, 1671 North Providence Road, Media, PA 19063. High resolution digital submissions may be sent to lensonlitter@prc.org. All entries (including digital) must include the entrant’s name, address, telephone number, email address, title given to photo, location of litter site and how you learned about the contest. Students should also include age, grade and name of school. Photos submitted without all the above will not be judged. All photos may be used by PRC at their discretion.
Questions may be directed to lensonlitter@prc.org and additional information, previous winners and an online entry form can be found at prc. org/lens-litter/ .
Individuals, groups or organizations that would be interested in helping to sponsor this program may email lensonlitter@prc.org or refer to the sponsor tab at prc.org/lens-litter/. Program sponsors to date include Carolyn Capaldi, Robert and Mary Capaldi, Sheetz, Inc. and Google.