Adopt a duck today in the 6th Annual Duck Derby and you'll help provide more sports and opportunities to Georgia’s 23,620 Special Olympics athletes. For a $5 or more donation, a lucky prize number will be assigned to a duck and entered into the derby in your name. On June 24th, 10,000 yellow rubber ducks will race against each other at Six Flags White Water. If your adopted duck is one of the first to cross the finish line, you could win fabulous prizes – like a trip to Mandalay Bay & Resort, a Marriot stay, a Macy’s shopping spree, a gift certificate to Kauffman Tire, or a digital camera!
Thank you to our sponsors Team Automotive and their 10 convenient Atlanta locations, Allconnect, Rooms to Go Children’s Fund, Dobbins Thrift Shoppe, Highwoods Properties, Precision Aviation Group, Pro Carpet, Six Flags White Water, Star 94, and WSB-TV.

Click here to adopt your duck now!  

Chili's for lunch or dinner or both May 18

Treat yourself to a Chili’s meal and help SOGA at the same time on Wednesday, May 25. Chili’s will give back 10 percent of what you spend to Special Olympics Georgia For a limited time, you get two entrees and one appetizer for $20! All metro Atlanta stores are participating except for restaurants at Discover Mills and the airport. Be sure to mention Special Olympics Georgia. Check SOGA's Web site for the flyer.

Cheer on the 25th annual Torch Run  Relay

Join us as the Flame of Hope makes its way across Georgia to converge on the Emory Campus on Friday, May 20th. This year’s run is celebrating the 25th Anniversary of the Law Enforcement Torch Run and begins on Monday, May 9th in Columbia County. Click here to view the complete schedule and come out to support your local law enforcement as they proudly bring the torch through your community. Show your support of the Law Enforcement Torch Run, too, by purchasing your own anniversary torch for $25 – it’s a great way to help honor your favorite officer of agency.

Double or triple your tax-deductible donation to Special Olympics Georgia through your company’s matching gift program. Thousands of companies match charitable contributions made by their employees. Find out if your company will match your donation to Special Olympics with our custom search engine or by visiting your personnel office. If your company does match gifts, please provide SOGA with the necessary paperwork. What a great way to increase your financial support of the athletes with no additional cost to you!
 

Sponsor Spotlight: Jones Day

Special Olympics Georgia is honored to recognize Jones Day as the Opening Ceremony Sponsor of the 2011 State Summer Games and as a treasured partner of Special Olympics Georgia.

“Jones Day is the proud sponsor of the Opening Ceremonies at the Summer Games beginning on May 20 and we can’t wait to cheer on the athletes that night and throughout the weekend. All of us at Jones Day look forward to supporting the athletes not only by being a sponsor, but by being their number one fans in the stands,” says Bryan Davis, a Jones Day partner, and the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Special Olympics of Georgia.

 Jones Day is a global legal institution based on principles that have a social purpose and permanence that transcends individual interests. Jones Day believes that these principles accurately describe an important aspect of what makes Jones Day the client service organization that it is.

Jones Day view is that they have an obligation to operate effectively and efficiently. Jones Day understands that to best accomplish their view is by maintaining an intense focus on the values and principles on which Jones Day was built over the years, including most significantly client service. Having over more than a century of executing that approach has produced what Jones Day believes is a unique global legal institution.

Thank you Jones Day for your support and for Being a Fan of Special Olympics Georgia Athletes!
 

Volunteer of the Month: Kyle Bohannon

Kyle Bohannon is an example of an extraordinary volunteer whose mission seems to be “what else can I do?” Very rarely do you see this quality in a volunteer. From the very beginning, Kyle has only wanted to give more of his time to Special Olympics Georgia, not only wanting to volunteer but also volunteering in those challenging leadership roles. Kyle began his volunteer duties as a venue director for Olympic Town at the Winter Games. He then took on the challenge of being the venue director for a brand new sport to SOGA – 3-on-3 basketball – at this year’s Winter Games. If being a venue director at Winter Games was not a challenge enough, Kyle has agreed to be the volunteer coordinator for aquatics, probably one of the toughest venues SOGA has. No matter what the need, Kyle is always eager to step up and take on the challenge and always with so much enthusiasm.

Because of his dedication, Kyle has been chosen as the May volunteer of the month. Congratulations Kyle!
 

Volunteer Opportunities

WoofStock, Suwanee
May 7
Help us sell duck adoptions for the Duck Derby at the 6th annual WoofStock - a festival for all animals. WoofStock will include lots of demos, contests, products, and clinics for our four-legged friends. There will also be music by Sister Hazel and Gareth Asher. For more details on WoofStock, visit www.star94.com/woofstock.

Bicycle Ride Across Georgia, Atlanta to Savannah
June 5 - 11
Over 1,100 cyclists of all ages ride over 500 mile in 7 days. Volunteers are needed to staff rest stops along the route and encourage SOGA athletes that are riding! Route is Atlanta to Oxford on June 5th, Oxford to Milledgeville on June 6th, Milledgeville to Dublin on June 7th, Dublin on June 8th, Dublin to Metter on June 9th, Metter to Hinesville on June 10th and Hinesville to Savannah on June 11th. If you are in those cities or somewhere in between, come out to volunteer for a truly once-in-a-lifetime event.

Duck Derby Tagging Party, Tucker
June 15
We need your help tagging those rubber ducks that will be racing in the annual Duck Derby. We'll have about 10,000 ducks to tag so we need plenty of volunteers! Come join us for this truly unique party where we celebrate ducks with music, food and drinks, and a whole lot of rubber ducks.
 

If you are interested in volunteering for any of the above events, please contact Leslie Anderson at leslie.anderson@specialolympicsga.org.

Bracelets that CARE for you

GC Publishers maker of the CARE Medical History Bracelet is pleased to make a life saving device available to Special Olympics Georgia. The patented CARE Medical History Bracelet provides a tool that will capture valuable health information and make it readily available in a time of crisis or medical emergency.

We are making our life-saving bracelet available at our website www.medicalhistorybracelet.com Go to the  “BUY NOW” page, select  a bracelet and place it into the shopping cart and a summary page of items purchased will appear. Then use the discount code of GASO in the “Discount Code” box on the summary page. The bracelet will be offered for $14.00 and the shipping would be $5.00.

Sail in the Open Sailing Regatta Sept. 9-11

September breezes will be perfect for the Open Sailing Regatta set for Sept. 9-11 at Sunrise Cove Marina in Lake Lanier. Special Olympics Georgia athletes will benefit from the event, hosted by SOGA and supported by the Southern Sailing Club. The regatta will feature a sponsor boat for race viewing, a skipper reception Saturday night, door prizes and more. Click here for more information.

Claim Your Lane in Strike the R-Word and Bowl with Atlanta Hawks Marvin Williams

When you purchase a lane sponsorship in the  Sept. 22 Strike the R-Word bowling event for $200, you can have four of your best co-workers bowling and your company's logo on signage at the lane. The event, held at 300 Atlanta off I-285, will feature a meet and greet with Marvin, event T-shirts, food, beverages and drawing prizes. E-mail Wendy.Bigham@SpecialOlympicsGA.org for information.
 

Busse Golf: Play Nov. 7 at Cherokee Town and Country Club

Start looking for your foursome for the 16th Annual Bob Busse Golf Tournament Nov. 7 at the Cherokee Town and Country Club. Enjoy a great day of golf at the prestigious club and support the athletes. Expect golf-course prizes, door prizes, a silent auction and a wonderful reception. Click here for more information.

Photo taken by Kory Pryor Photography

Magazine/Subscription Renewal

Whether renewing your favorite magazine or subscribing to a new one, you can help raise funds for Special Olympics Georgia by ordering through our partner, DialAmerica. You’ll get BIG discounts, and DialAmerica will donate 12.5 percent of your paid subscription to SOGA. To subscribe, call (877) 872-2362 between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. or
 

Will You Introduce us to Your Friends?

You know lots of people-- family members, friends, work colleagues, just about everywhere you go there's someone you know. Will you introduce Special Olympics Georgia to them? Forward this e-newsletter and ask them to click here and then click on the Sign-up for the e-newsletter button. We'd love to see you and our new friends at State Summer Games May 20-22.