2009 Winter Games March 20 - 22

Athletes and parents,

On 20, 21, and 22 of March, the Chittenden Delegation will be staying at the Woodstock Inn and competing at the nearby Suicide Six ski area. I hope this message will give you the information you need, but if you have questions, please call Maggie at 524-3142, Kirk at 878-3431 or Karen at 865-3840.

Parents and guests

You are all welcome to come to the games to cheer the athletes on; the ski area is in South Pomfret, six miles north of Woodstock. Assuming the daily schedule will be the same as last year, the competition will begin at 9:00 both Saturday and Sunday morning. On Saturday the last race will end around 3:15, on Sunday around 11:45. If you want to make overnight plans, you should call the Woodstock Inn at 800.448.7900 and ask for “Friends and Families of Special Olympics” rate of $185.00 per night.

Team travel

The Chittenden delegation will travel by car pool caravan leaving from the VTSO office in Williston and returning to the same place. You should be at the Special Olympics office by 2:45 PM on Friday. We will return by 4:00 PM on Sunday. A phone list will be brought so that we can make cell phone calls if our return time changes significantly.

Clothing

The athletes need to have clothing appropriate to being outdoors for two hours on Friday evening at the opening ceremony, for competing on Saturday and Sunday, and for the dance on Saturday night.

** BRING YOUR RED SPECIAL OLYMPICS JACKET! **

Daily Logistics and Packing

On Saturday morning before breakfast, we need to be ready to board a bus at 7:00 to go to the ski area. Athletes must have everything that they will need until 4:00 pm when we will return by bus to the Woodstock Inn. On Sunday we will need to clear everything from our our rooms by 7:00 AM, before breakfast, and car pool to the ski area. We will not be returning to Woodstock; we will leave Sunday afternoon directly from the ski area. In order to make these moves without fail, athletes will have to pack very carefully. They should bring one bag for ski/snowshoe equipment and one other bag for clothing. Please do not overpack! Bring only those items that they really need.

Meals

Breakfast and lunch on Saturday and Sunday and dinner on Saturday evening will be provided to credentialed people as part of the program.

Change of plans for Friday evenings meal! We are not allowed to bring food into the resort. The Woodstock Inn will be offering pizza by the slice. Please bring $10.00 to buy your own pizza and drink Friday evening. Thanks!!!

Chittenden Delegation Meeting - Wednesday March 4th

This is an important meeting for all interested in seeing the Special Olympics Chittenden Program get back on track.

When:
Wednesday evening, March 4th, 2009 at 7:00 PM

Where:
Comfort Inn & Suites University Inn
5 Dorset Street
South Burlington, VT, 05403

Agenda:

Sports Program key dates - Dave/Karen
-Winter Games plans

Annual Pot Luck and Jeff Kutt Award - Claire

Financial Status - Dave

Calcutta plans - Nicole/Dave/Claire
-Ticket sales
-Prize and silent auction donations

Shaw's Community Rewards program - Karen

Adopt-a-Cop plans - Dave/Nicole
-Roll out plan
-Publicity

We will be meeting regularly the first Wednesday of every month.

Mall Walking Saturday 2/28/2009

Due to the Spring type weather and the lack of snow, we will be

WALKING the Mall again!!!!!

Start Time: 10 am to 11:30 am

See you all there.

Maggie

Shaws Community Rewards!

It has now gotten much easier to help raise money for the Special Olympics Vermont Chittenden Program through the Shaw's Receipt fundraiser!

Starting effective March 1, 2009, the Shaw's Receipt Rewards fundraising program is now called the Shaw's Community Rewards program. What this means is that Shaw's register receipts will no longer need to be collected, tallied, & mailed. Instead, money will now be raised through shopper's Shaw's Rewards Card purchases. All you need to do is to enroll in the Shaw's Community Rewards program by registering your Shaw's Rewards card number.

To register your rewards card, please visit the Shaw's Neighborhood Rewards web site at: http://www.shaws.com/communityrewards click on the "Login or Register with your Rewards card first" link, enter your Shaw's Rewards card number (the number can be found underneath the bar code on the back of your rewards card) and the 10 digit phone number you used to sign up for the Shaw's Rewards Card, and click "Login." A new page will load; click on the "Find Organization" sign post (on the right side of the page). Another new page will load; in the name box type in: Special Olympics Vermont - Chittenden, type in: Williston in the City box, and choose Vermont in the state box, then click on the green "Find Organizations" link. You will then see a new page with our organization name; click the box next to "Special Olympics Vermont - Chittenden" and then click "Add Selected Organizations." You now have registered your Shaw's rewards card with our organization! Now all you need to do is shop at Shaw's on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, or Thursdays and use your Shaw's Rewards Card each time you shop! It's that simple!

Please note: Re-registration is required annually, so please mark your calendar's a year from when you enroll to remind your self to re-register your card.

Please spread the word! Tell all your family, friends, neighbors, & co-workers and encourage them to register!

Thank you for your Support!

Sincerely,

Karen Bogdan
Chittenden Program Coordinator
Special Olympics Vermont

The Jeff Kutt Award

Each year an athlete is awarded the Jeff Kutt Award by the Chittenden Area Special Olympics. In March 2009, we will again recognize an athlete who emanates Jeff's spirit of giving, helping and sharing happiness. If you would like to nominate an athlete for this award, e-mail me why you think the athlete should receive this award. All nominations will be considered and the award presented at the Annual Awards Pot Luck Dinner on March 30th, 2009 at Holy Family Parish Hall. The previous winners of this award are: Randy Turner, Peter Tarte, Larry Young, Dawn Daggett, Wayne Ashline, Robin Shockey and Scott Johnston. Thank you, Claire

claireshockey@myfairpoint.net

802-878-2346

Volunteer

Woodstock Inn Friends and Family offer for Winter Games

Woodstock Inn will be offering the $185.00/night special rate again for Special Olympics Friends and Family the weekend of Winter Games, March 20th through 22nd. If you want to make overnight plans, you should call the Woodstock Inn at 800.448.7900 and ask for the “Friends and Families of Special Olympics” rates.

U.S. Vice President Announces Appointment of Special Assistant for Disabilities Policy

Joe Biden announced that Kareem Dale had been named the special assistant to the president for disabilities policy. Read about it here:
http://www.specialolympics.org/WGU_VP_WWG_visit.aspx?jmid=68532&j=229101452#

Mall Walking Saturday 2/14/09

Hi Everyone

As you can see there is very little snow and what there is, is icy.

We will be walking the U-Mall 10am to 11:30am. Hope to see you all there.

Maggie

PARTNERS IN ADVENTURE “SATURDAY NIGHT OUT”

PARTNERS IN ADVENTURE

“SATURDAY NIGHT OUT”

(Group activities for teens & young adults of all abilities)

Saturday Night Out includes a pizza dinner,

movie and popcorn kids pack at

Essex Cinemas in Essex

“Coraline”

Date: February 7, 2009

Cost: $17.00 per child. If your child requires an assistant, this is the responsibility of the parents to provide. (The cost for the assistant is $17.00 if they want same package as child. If assistant is not going to have pizza, then the cost for the

assistant is $10.00)

Drop off Time: 6:00 PM at Essex Cinemas in Essex.

Pick Up Time: 8:40 PM same location.

Please contact Sue Minter with the number of people

attending by Thursday, February 6 by e-mail at: sbminter@aol.com or

call at 879-8302 or 310-0808