January 2010

 

 

     WHAT'S NEW

 

Help celebrate SOGA's 40 years
Wish a Happy Birthday to Special Olympics Georgia (SOGA) and participate in this event. Help us continue to change lives for the next 40 years by making a $40 donation to our kick off.

Remember to drop off your scarves
In honor of SOGA's 40th Anniversary, many of you have knitted red and white scarves for us to be given out Jan. 15 at Indoor Winter State Games in Cobb County. The deadline is here. If you need to drop off your scarf, call Jennifer Daniell at (770) 414-9390 ext. 110.


Come join us for the newest winter weather event and don’t be left out in the cold! Collect pledges and plunge into the icy waters at Lake Lanier Island Beach and Water Park on February 20th in the Polar Plunge Plunge on your own or with a team. All it takes is a minimum $50 donation (which you can collect via pledges) to get started. Learn more about the Polar Plunge by clicking here. The Polar Plunge is sponsored in part by Lake Lanier Islands Beach and Water Park and Star 94FM.
 

Adopt your duck for the June 25th Derby
SOGA's 5th annual Duck Derby will be held at White Water park in Marietta on June 25th. Adopt your duck today for just $5. The first five ducks across the finish line win a prize great prizes! Check out all the details and adopt your duck at www.AtlantaDuckDerby.com
 

Sponsor of the month

New to the SOGA family is our presenting sponsor of the 2010 Indoor Winter Games, Stadion Money Management. Based in Watkinsville, Georgia near Athens, Stadion Money Management is a privately owned money management firm that was founded in 1991. The goal of Stadion Money Management is to help investors - through their advisors or company retirement plans - protect and grow their "serious money." That is, the money that absolutely must be there for the important long-term goals like retirement, education, and future family legacy.
More than a money management firm, Stadion is a company that believes in family and in their community. Nothing was more evident when our SOGA staff first visited their offices. It truly feels like a home. And, now that we have created a new partnership with the Stadion family, we are excited to see it grow and flourish into something truly inspiring.
We are proud to welcome Stadion to the SOGA family and feel privileged to become a member of theirs. Stadion is a business made up of caring individuals who together will make a large and lasting impact on the Indoor Winter Games, SOGA, and most of all the athletes we serve. Thank you for your support Stadion Money Management!
 

 

 

   VOLUNTEER OF THE MONTH

Volunteer of the Month -Rhonda Neck

Rhonda Neck has been an active volunteer in Area 2 - which includes Banks, Dawson, Franklin, Hart, Lumpkin, Rabun, Stephens, Towns, Union and White Counties - as treasurer for several years. Rhonda works year round keeping track of the entire area's financials and all the paperwork for the area's over 1,000 active athletes. This past December, Rhonda was instrumental in putting together all of the paperwork needed for the the Area 2 Winter Games. Handling the paperwork is no small feat considering the amount of time it takes to make sure that all the participating athlete's medicals are properly filled out and turned in. Because of diligence in getting the paperwork done properly and turned in, the Area 2 games were able to run smoothly, which is also a huge help to the SOGA staff.

Thank you Rhonda for your dedication and service all these years to SOGA. Congratulations on being the January Volunteer of the Month.

Do you know someone who should be            Volunteer of the Month?
Simply send the person's contact information (name, email address, mailing address, and phone number) and a brief paragraph explaining why you think they should win to Leslie Anderson.

**Online Donations
 You can make an online donation and support the 22,797 registered SOGA athletes.

 

 

   VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

 

 

IMPORTANT: PLEASE READ!
 ALL Class A volunteers and Special Olympics staff members are required by Special Olympics Inc. to complete the training course. Click here to find out if you are a Class A volunteer. The quiz takes four minutes. Click here to take the quiz.
 

Now
Duck Derby Committee Members
This year, Boccefest will be held in April and the Duck Derby is coming back to White Water in June, and we need your help! We are currently looking for creative and energetic individuals to serve on both committees to help organize the events. Meetings will be held once a month starting in February. Committee members will help market the event, sell adoptions/teams, and brainstorm ideas for sales locations and ways to advertise, etc.

February 20
Polar Plunge, Lake Lanier
This is a brand new fundraiser for SOGA! Join us for this exciting event that has participants running into the freezing cold water at Lake Lanier all in the name of raising money for our athletes.

February 21
Bregman Conference, Atlanta
SOGA partners with the Jewish Family & Career Services to host a conference for adults with developmental disabilities. Volunteers are needed to help with conference events and activities.

 

If you are interested in any of the events, please contact Leslie Anderson.

 

 

 

   OTHER NEWS

 

Upcoming Events

Going once, going twice, SOLD!
SOGA will once again host the ever-popular Art Auction fundraiser March 13. Enjoy  a fantastic evening of fine art from Marlin Art of New York City. The evening also includes a silent auction, live entertainment,  food and great door prizes.  To purchase tickets, click here. To volunteer, e-mail Emily Young.
Law Enforcement Torch Run Luncheons
 Join us at one of our Kickoff Luncheons across the state to learn how to get your law enforcement agency involved in this worldwide movement, which raised $34 million across the country last year. The Law Enforcement Torch Run raises money and awareness for the athletes -- from merchandise sales to building sits, plane pulls and more. Click here to learn more about the luncheons.

Publix -- Where Shopping is a Pleasure
Don’t forget to visit your area Publix Super Markets this month and help support Special Olympics by purchasing your torch icon at the register for $1, $3, or $5. All torch donations will receive $6 back in P&G coupons. A great deal for everyone. Hurry in – icon sales end on January 21! Find your closest Publix by clicking here.

Shop online with major discounts

Bid in an Online Reverse Auction or spend cash in a Shopping Portal that will let you shop, save big, have fun, and support SOGA at the same time.

 The online reverse auction allows you to bid on items like computers, ipods, Wiis and when the price drops to a price that you are willing to pay, you can buy the item. Click here to see how this works.

The shopping portal connects you to thousands of online stores such as Target, WalMart, Best Buy, Borders, Toys r Us, Home Depot. You earn rewards for yourself and money for SOGA while shopping. Click here to learn more.

Your company might match your donation
Double or triple your tax-deductible donation to SOGA through your company's matching gift program. Find out if your company will match your donation with our  search engine or by visiting your personnel office.

Renew your magazine
Buy a magazine and you can help raise money for SOGA by ordering through our partner DialAmerica. You'll get big discounts and SOGA will receive 12.5 percent of your subscription amount. Click here to subscribe.

Surf the web
 Every time you search on www.GoodSearch.com, one penny benefits SOGA. Make Good Search your home page by going to "tools" in your browser and clicking on "internet options." Type www.GoodSearch.com in the space for home page. The first time you visit the site, type "Special Olympics Georgia" in the box for "Who do you goodsearch for?"

Note to families:  Special Needs Trusts
Use a trust to protect your loved one and make sure it's managed property by future trustees:
- Consider having a bank for a long-term trust,
- But include in the agreement a provision to remove the bank.
- Create a Trust Protection Committee of relatives and friends to replace the trustee and modify the trust if Medicaid benefits change. For more information, visit www.KELLONG.com.

 

 

 

**Check out the SOGA website at www.SpecialOlympicsGA.org**

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©2005 Special Olympics Georgia. All Rights Reserved.
Special Olympics Georgia
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Suite 400, Building 400,

 Atlanta, GA 30340

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