Area 7 Summer Games a huge success!

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On Thursday April 15, Area 7  games took place at Mt. de Sales Academy’s Cavalier Field in Macon. Over 300 Special Olympics Georgia Athletes from 9 different agencies in Area 7 showed up for the event. Lots of various events were offered such as 5oM Run/Walk, 100M Run/Walk, Shot Put, Softball Throw, and Standing/Running Long Jump. A great time was had by all in attendance. A special thanks to members of the Area 7 Management Team and the official event sponsor, GEICO- Area 7 Games were a huge success due to your generous support and efforts.

Athletes receive their awards at the games.

Athletes who participated in the games pictured with the GEICO Gecko

Don’t miss the yard sale this weekend!

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SOGA is having a HUGE yard sale Friday and Saturday, so stop by Chestnut Drive Church, 3545 Chestnut Dr., Doraville, GA 30340. We will sell gently used items, including dining room tables and chairs, couches, TVs, cabinets, dressers, clothes, DVDs, household accessories, lamps, grills, books, and much more. All proceeds raised will go to the athletes of SOGA, so come out and shop while helping our athletes at the same time.

The yard sale is from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. both days.

For info, call 678-637-2459 or Click Here

SOGA Athlete Receives “Peach of an Athlete” Award

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On March 30, 2010 SOGA Athlete Evan Morriss was awarded the 2010 Boy Scouts Peach of an Athlete Award. Congratulations Evan!

How you can help

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RECYLE YOUR OLD CELL PHONES!  The cell phone recycling program is an easy way to support the athletes. All you have to do is collect old cell phones.  How easy is that?! 

When you’re ready to send in your old phones, simply contact Emily Young at 770-414-9390 x119 or by email at Emily.Young@SpecialOlympicsGa.org.  We provide free shipping via FedEx or  arrange a pick-up if that’s most convenient.  We’ll even send you a box and official flyers to get started today!

Make $$ Searching the Web Yahoo has teamed up with GoodSearch to donate a penny to SOGA every time you search the web.  This is totally free, as the money comes from advertisers.  Make GoodSearch your home page by going to “tools” in your browser and then 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?” 

Recycle Your Cartridges: SOGA is recycling inkjet and laser printer cartridges and fax toner cartridges to raise funds and help our environment.  For more information on how to donate your cartridges, contact Jennifer at (770) 414-9390 x110 or Jennifer.Daniell@SpecialOlympicsGA.org.

Upcoming Events: April Connection

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Upcoming events


Brio’s at Bocce: Brio Tuscan Grill is hosting a Bocce Tournament on Sunday May 2 between 1-5, sponsored by La Societa Italiana. Enjoy bocce in Brio’s lovely garden setting overlooking the lake, hor d’oeuvers and wine, for adults over 21. Costs $20 to play. E-mail Jennifer.Daniell@SpecialOlympicsGA.org

Slamfest 2010:  Three-on-three basketball tournament at Discover Mills June 5 and 6 with proceeds going to SOGA.  Volunteers and players needed.  For more information go to http://www.slamfest2010.com/   or to volunteer email: slamfest2010@yahoo.com  Multiple divisions including third grade up through seniors with sliding cost. 

Three-Day Spring Ride: The 21st Annual Spring 3-Day Bike Ride begins in Virginia Highlands on May 21. The 300-mile ride tours West Georgia from urban Atlanta through rural West Georgia and ending in Virginia Highlands on the 23rd.

Ride through Calloway Gardens, the rolling hills from Pine Mountain, and Silver Comet Trail. But you can join the ride at any point!  Just be sure to ask friends and families to sponsor you. You only pay for your personal expenses. You’ll enjoy the ride and raise money for Special Olympics Georgia.

For more information, contact Jeff at schneiderjeffrey@yahoo.com or Charles at cepotts@mindspring.

BRAG: Sign up for the 2010 Bicycle Ride Across Georgia. The ride will take place in middle Georgia June 5-12. A loop ride beginning and ending in Fayetteville with overnight stops in Griffin, Thomaston, Columbus LaGrange and Newnan. Visit www.brag.org  for more information.

SOGA COMMUNITY YARD SALE: Join us for our  yard sale April 23 and 24 at the Decatur Recreation Center. We’ll have tons of items including couches, chairs, entertainment centers, TVs, movies, books, clothes, toys, strollers, children’s furniture, decorative items and so much more!

The yard sale will be from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. both days at the center, located at 231 Sycamore Street, Decatur, GA 30030

*We are also looking for donations of items for the yard sale. Schedule a pickup or you can drop items off at the SOGA office. For more information on the yard sale, contact Leslie Anderson at 770-414-9390 ext. 120 or at leslie.anderson@specialolympicsga.org.

Cuffed for a Cause: Join officers across the state as they are CUFFED FOR A CAUSE on Saturday, April 10th!  Officers will bed handcuffed to a moving treadmill for eight hours or until their fundraising goal is met, whichever one comes first!  Be sure to stop by and support them by making a donation.  Click here to see the closest location to you.

Let’s go see some Braves games: Purchase your $6 Gwinnett Braves game ticket for July 11 or your $12 or $6 ticket for the Atlanta Braves game on May 20. If sell 150 Gwinnett tickets, the athletes will be in an athlete parade and 200 tickets for the athletes to participate in the Atlanta game. Let’s help get our athletes on the field. E-mail Wendy.Bigham@SpecialOlympicsGA.org.

Sponsor Spotlight: CH2M HILL

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As a global leader in full-service engineering, consulting, construction, and operations, CH2M HILL helps its clients achieve success in any corner of the world. 
From designing the infrastructure of the 2010 Summer Olympics in London … to widening the Panama Canal … to providing operating services for Johns Creek, Georgia … the 23,500 employees of CH2M HILL offer a wide spectrum of expertise, knowledge, and services across varied industries and government agencies.

At the same time, the company supports its employees as community citizens; their concern, passion and spirit of service make a meaningful and lasting impact on people and communities around the world.

So, when the Johns Creek Police Department decided in 2009 to raise money for Special Olympics Georgia, CH2M HILL quickly sponsored the inaugural JCPD Special Olympics Golf Tournament. 

CH2M HILL employees worked closely with police, volunteering many hours to help make the tournament and other JCPD Special Olympics events successful.

It was a double win for CH2M HILL: they helped their client, who in turn helped people with intellectual disabilities across Georgia.

CH2M HILL believes in investing professional expertise, volunteer time and financial resources to address environmental and social issues that affect the communities where employees live and work.

SOGA Yard Sale!

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Come to the Decatur Recreation Center on April 23 and 24 for some great deals on lots of gently used goods. CLICK HERE for the address and more info. Get a steal and support SOGA at the same time!

Monthly donors

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Monthly Donors
Christopher Grover
Jeffery Hobday
Jeff Ivan
Daniel Levison
Philip Miller
Mark Pellegri
R. Todd Wickliffe

How you can help

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Matching Gifts: 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 necessary paperwork.

Coupon books:If you live in the greater Athens or greater Gainesville areas, you can save at least $1,000 at local restaurants and family entertainment venues by buying a Coupon Book. In addition to saving yourself a lot of money, 50% of the proceeds of each book is donated to SOGA. Learn more about the types of offers included in the books/purchase a book.

 

Shop Online With Major Discounts: Special Olympics Georgia has partnered with a company to provide you with the opportunity to participate in an Online Reverse Auction and 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 today’s most desirable items (i.e., ipod, Wii, gift cards, cameras, computers, etc.). As people bid on an item, the price drops! Once the item drops to a price that you are willing to pay, you can buy the item.  If this sounds too good to be true, click here to see how this works.

The shopping portal connects you to thousands of online merchants (i.e., Target, WalMart, Best Buy, Apple, Borders, Toys r Us, Home Depot, etc.). The best part is that you’re able to earn rewards for yourself and money for Special Olympics Georgia  while buying everyday items you were already planning on purchasing.  Click here to learn more.  

Ways to have fun and do some good

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1. Visit a cop sitting on the roof of a Krispy Kreme doughnut shop April 30-May 2. Have a doughnut and make a doughnation. Click here for information about Cops on Doughnut Shops.

2. Play bocce, enjoy wine and hor d’oeuvers at Brio Tuscan Grill on May 2 between 1 p.m. and 5 p.m.  The Bocce Tournament is sponsored by La Societa Italiana. Costs  $20, for adults over 21. For info, e-mail Jennifer.Daniell@SpecialOlympicsGA.org

3. Join Special Olympics Young Leaders for a fun afternoon at Candler Park on May 8 as we play bocce ball and raise money for Special Olympics Georgia.  Click here for more information.

4.  Go to any Chili’s on May 11, 12, 13,  and they will give back 10 percent of what you spend to SOGA for Chili’s Give Back DAYS!  Click here for the flyer you must bring with you.

5. Bring your family and team to the Atlanta Braves Game May 20! Tickets are $12 and $6. If we sell 200 tickets, the athletes can be in a parade on field. E-mail Wendy.Bigham@SpecialOlympicsGA.org.

6. Get out your running shoes and help us raise money and awareness for the athletes of Special Olympics Georgia. Please join us on May 22 at Emory University’s beautiful Lullwater Park for our 10th Annual 5K/Fun Run, Race for Champions! Click HERE to register.

7. You’ll want to ride your bicycle May 21-23 in the  Three-Day Spring Ride starting from Virginia Highlands. No cost to enter, but click here to start raising money for SOGA. For info, e-mail jeffschneider@wncwlaw.com  or  CPotts@profitstars.com.

8. Be a Fan in the stands May 21-23 at State Summer Games at Emory University. Everyone needs someone cheering for them. Click  here for information.

9. Pump some air in those bike tires and sign up for the 2010 Bicycle Ride Across Georgia. The ride will take place in middle Georgia June 5-12. Visit www.brag.org  for more information.

10. Adopt a duck for $5 to benefit the athletes. With a donation of $5 or more, a lucky prize number will be assigned to a yellow rubber duck in your name. All ducks will race in the Duck Derby at Six Flags White Water June 25. If your duck is the first to cross the finish line, you win! Click here to adopt your duck now. For info, e-mail Cassidy.Moody@SpecialOlympicsGA.org

11.  Spend $5 and bring your team to the Gwinnett Braves game on July 11. If 150 people buy tickets, the athletes can participate in a parade on the field. E-mail Wendy.Bigham@SpecialOlympicsGA.org

12. Attend THE TOUR Championship Sept. 22-26 for $60 per day at East Lake Golf Club. Use the code TCSGSH when you buy your tickets. click here to buy tickets.

13.  Help celebrate our 40th Anniversary by adding your name to SOGA’s virtual road. With just $40, you’ll help SOGA build a way for the next 40 years.