Team USA Reception for Families

Senator Tom Harkin, Global Youth and other Dignitaries to Attend

Good morning All:

Bob Norbie has asked that I let all of the folks we are aware of from Montana who are attending the WWG in Boise next week know of this major Families event.  Attached is a press release announcing Senator Tom Harkin’s participation at the team USA Families Reception.  The reception is Saturday, February 7th from 10:00am – 12:00 noon at the Powerhouse Event Center.  Please encourage family members and other credentialed attendees to participate in this event and be a part of spreading the Special Olympics message to Congress!

Tammy A. Peterson
Vice President Field Service
Special Olympics Montana
tpeterson@somt.org
406-216-5327

Press Event – Special Olympics World Winter Games – Boise, Idaho

Saturday February 7, 2009, 10:30-11:00 a.m.

Location: Team USA Family Reception Event, Powerhouse Event Center, 621 S. 17th St., Boise

Event Theme: Legislative and Programmatic Breakthroughs for Persons with Intellectual Disability

Participants:

• US Senator Tom Harkin (Iowa), Chairman, US Senate Sub-Committee on Appropriations, Health, Education, Labor and Pensions
• New legislation and programs to advance and support people with disabilities
• Reauthorization of the Special Olympics Sport and Empowerment Act
  
  
• Segolen Yver, SO Athlete, Member of SO Global Youth Activation Committee, 15-year- old, Belle Mead, New Jersey
  
  
• Alexandra Edenzon, Member of SO Global Youth Activation Committee, 14-year-old, Belle Mead, New Jersey
  
  
• Dr. Richard Besser, Acting Director, US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
  • CDC leadership on intellectual disability and the partnership with Special
    Olympics

About Special Olympics:
Special Olympics is an international organization that changes lives by promoting understanding, acceptance and inclusion between people with and without intellectual disabilities. Through year-round sports training and athletic competition and other related programming for more than 2.8 million children and adults with intellectual disabilities in more than 180 countries, Special Olympics has created a model community that celebrates people’s diverse gifts. Founded in 1968 by Eunice Kennedy Shriver, Special Olympics provides people with intellectual disabilities continuing opportunities to realize their potential, develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage and experience joy and friendship. Visit Special Olympics at www.specialolympics.org.

About the 2009 Special Olympics World Winter Games:
The 2009 Special Olympics World Winter Games will be held in Idaho, USA, 7-13 February 2009. Nearly 2,500 athletes from more than 100 countries are expected to compete.  Surpassing the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympic Winter Games in athlete numbers and participating nations, the World Winter Games will be the largest multi-day winter sporting event ever held in Idaho.  Competition will take place in seven winter sports – Alpine Skiing, Cross-Country Skiing, Figure Skating, Floor Hockey, Snowboarding, Snowshoeing and Speed Skating. Competition and other activities will take place in communities and venues throughout Idaho including, but not limited to, Boise, Sun Valley and McCall.  For more information, visit www.2009WorldGames.org. 

Platinum, Gold and Silver sponsors of the 2009 Special Olympics World Winter Games include:  Hewlett Packard, Lithia, Microsoft, Wal-Mart and Sam’s Club, Sprint, the Micron Foundation, Boise Inc., Food Services of America, Canon, Fusion Imaging, Citrix, Avaya, Extreme Networks, Juniper Networks & S1 IT Solutions. 

Venue partners include Bogus Basin Mountain Recreation Area, Qwest Arena, Expo Idaho, Sun Valley Resort, Ponderosa State Park, Boise Centre, Idaho IceWorld and Boise State University. 

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