On Sunday, October 14th, our athletes took a drive to DeSales University for the 2018 Eastern Fall Sectional. Athletes from Area P, Berks County, Bethlehem County, Bucks County, Carbon County, Chester County, Columbia/ Montour, Delaware County, Lancaster County, Lebanon County, Luzerne County, Monroe County, Montgomery County, Northumberland – Snyder Counties, Philadelphia County, Schuylkill County and the host county, Lehigh County, filled the football stadium in anticipation of a wonderful day of competition ahead. Every athlete had one thing on their mind, securing a spot at the fall state games – Fall Festival.

Opening Ceremonies kicked off with opening remarks from Dr. Berg and Chloe Phillips. Dr. Berg announced the theme for the day was Board Games in order to encourage everyone to take a chance and climb the ladder.   Next, the Knights of Columbus Honor Guard was welcomed to do the presentation of colors followed by the DeSales University Choir who beautifully sang the National Anthem. Eric Cushing, Vice President of Development for Special Olympics Pennsylvania, was introduced once the National Anthem ended in order to thank and do a Check Presentation with the Billy Frost Concert Committee. After this was completed, Dr. Berg took over again and welcomed Global Messenger, Ashley Bressler from Columbia/ Montour to speak about her experience with Special Olympics PA and how she enjoys competing. The DeSales University Dance Team then took over in a wonderful performance followed by Father Kevin who led everyone in prayer. Chloe and Dr. Berg took over again and led the coaches and athletes in their oaths. Once this was finished, the lighting of the Flame of Hope occurred, and was carried by athletes from Lehigh County, Officer Mettin and officers from the DeSales University Police Department as a symbol for officers around the world being guardians of the flame. The Flame of Hope is a symbol of Special Olympics and represents the determination of all athletes. Finally, Chloe declared the 2018 Special Olympics Pennsylvania Eastern Fall Sectional officially open.

Over 800 athletes were led by 350 coaches and over 400 volunteers in games where they went head to head with one another and showcased their athletic abilities. Athletes competed in Bocce (Doubles and Unified Sports Doubles), Long Distance Running/ Walking, Powerlifting, Soccer (11 v 11, Skills, 7 v 7, 5 v 5 Unified Sports) and Volleyball (Team and Individual Skills). This was the first year we have a Unified Team (Strykers) who made their competition debut at the Area M Fall Sports Classic. Once the games were completed, all of our Soccer teams, Volleyball Skills athletes and Bocce teams had secured a spot in the state event.

Congratulations to all those teams and athletes we can’t wait to see what you do at Fall Festival!

Join the Social Conversation

Facebook Event Page | #SOPAFallEast

 

In The News:

October 14, 2018: Julia Rose for 69wfmz News: Hundreds of Special Olympics athletes compete in Lehigh County event

Photos:

Results:

Bocce Doubles
Team
Place
Kevin Karcher & Pam Galone 1st Place
Tracey McGarvey & John Kulpa 1st Place
Kirstyn Cantres & Christina DiVergilis 2nd Place

Head Coach Carol Canady and Assistant Coaches Michelle Angerman

Soccer
Team Name
Athletes/Partners
Coach
Place
Philly Stars (5v5)
Allison Davidson, Danny Amrik, Jackie Lutts, Emmett Abdo, Lisa Barbour, Kristie Walls, Michael Weinberg, David Brent Williams Head Coach Charles Abdo, Assistant Coaches Ronald Atkins Sr,  3rd Place
Stykers (Unified 7v7)

Brian Oldakowski, Ryan Milanaik, Joseph Rynkiewicz, Matthew Grabowski, Ryan Bogan, Michael Luciani, Brian Stulz, Hailey Hurst, Angel Rodriguez, Jonathon Boback

Head Coach Gary Bixby, Assistant Coaches Samuel Fioravanti Sr,  1st Place
United (7v7)
Charles Zisette, Mitchel Stahl, Sam Fioravanti Jr, Danny Charlton, Carl Irvis, Jesse Rose, Jason Bixby, Ian Capacio, Michael Castillo, Justin Martinez, Hope Anderson Head Coach Walt Beckman, Assistant Coaches Karen Aviso, Jacqueline Bixby, Michelle Lebron 4th Place

 

Volleyball
Team Name
Athletes
Coach
Place
Special Stars
Derrick Jackson, Teddy Angerman, Ray Anderson, James Shelton, Stanley Dluzniewski, Kelly Dluzniewski, Allison Ruitzer, Carlyn Robinson, Sharon Quarles, Francis Bradshaw Head Coach Rosemary Duffy, Assistant Coach Andy Delworth, Jon Garvey 3rd Place

 

Volleyball Skills:
Cyla Bradshaw 1st Place
Marissa Williams 3rd Place

Head Coach Monica Bradshaw

 

The 2018 TD Campaign marked the 10th anniversary of a partnership between TD Bank and Special Olympics. TD Bank set a goal of raising $1,000,000 for Special Olympics programs throughout their footprint on the east coast of the United States from Maine to Florida. The six-week campaign ran from Monday, May 14th to Friday, June 22nd. During the campaign, TD asks members of their community to help support Special Olympics programs and this year continued their trading card tradition. Philadelphia was lucky to have an athlete, Michael Younkers, featured on one of these cards.

During the campaign, Philadelphia athletes visited the twenty-two branches across the Philadelphia region and meet employees, took tours, worked the counters, and interacted with customers. Our athletes loved sharing their triumphs and experiences with everyone and the TD employees loved getting to know our athletes and hanging out with them in return.

To cap off the campaign, the Philadelphia commercial teams hosted Philadelphia athletes at their offices for a meet and greet. Since commercial teams typically don’t get athlete visits, this was a special treat for them. Athletes and TD employees alike got together for lunch where TD employees learned more about Special Olympics and our mission and local program. After learning about Special Olympics, TD employees got to mix and mingle with our athletes to learn more about them, their experiences, and what makes them who they are.

When all was said and done, TD finished strong and surpassed their $1,000,000 goal.

Photos:

Our Philadelphia athletes had a great start to the 2017 Fall Season while attending the Area M Invitational on Sunday, September 17th. This invitational is held every fall at Hershey High School and invites 20 local Special Olympics PA programs to come out and compete in five sports. This year, 750 athletes came together to compete at one of their first tournaments of the season. Athletes have the chance to compete in bocce, long distance running/walking, powerlifting, soccer, and volleyball. Philadelphia athletes who attended competed in bocce, soccer skills, 5v5 soccer, and 7v7 soccer. 

 

Results

Bocce
Team 1 Teddy Angerman & Raymond Anderson 1st
Team 2 John Kulpa & Sharon Quarles 3rd
Team 3 Tracy McGravey & Kirstyn Cantres 1st
Team 4 Bryan Ziegler & Kevin Karcher 1st

Huge thank you to Coach Carole Canady for preparing our athletes!

Soccer – Individual Skills
Patrick Kulick 3rd
Eddie Glover 1st

Huge thank you to Coach Jaclyn Bixby for preparing our athletes! 

Soccer – Team
Stars & Stripes (5v5) Ian Capacio, Allison Davidson, Danny Amrik, Jackie Lutts, Emmet Abdo, Lisa Barbour, Kristie Walls, Michael Weinberg, David Brent Williams 1st
Strykers (7v7) Matt Grabowski, Joseph Rynkiewicz, Ryan Bogan, Charles Zistte, Angel Rodriguez, Brian Stulz, Ronald Atkins Jr., Samuel Fioravanti Jr, Jason Bixby, Daniel Charlton, Jesse Rose, Matt Beckman, Carl Irvis 1st

Huge thank you to Coaches Charles Abdo (Stars & Stripes) and Ryan Milanaik (Strykers) for preparing our athletes! 

 

On Saturday, April 29th, Special Olympics Philadelphia held our 40th Annual Philadelphia Spring Games at William Penn Charter (3000 West School House Lane, Philadelphia, PA 19144) and it was an absolute success! We had a record-breaking event on numerous levels, including the number of counties hosted (six), the number of athletes competing,  and celebrity and political representatives! It looked like it would be a cloudy day when it started, but as we were about to start the sun came out.Click to View Full-Screen Image

The day started at 8:00 am at the Philadelphia Museum of Art with the Law Enforcement Torch Run. The Flame of Hope was escorted by law enforcement from the Upper Gwynedd Township Police Department, Philadelphia Police Department, lead by Deputy Commissioner Dennis Wilson. Members carried the Flame of Hope from the Philadelphia Museum of Art to William Penn Charter. At 9:00 am, Opening Ceremonies began enthusiastically as athlete Allie Rutizer, and Sports Anchor for Comcast SportsNet, John Boruk emceed the morning. To lead the parade of athletes, West Powelton Drum Squad lead the way before we introduced athletes from  Bethlehem City, Chester County, Delaware County,  Lehigh County, Montgomery County, and of course, Philadelphia County. Besides athletic teams, basketball teams, and tennis teams, we also welcomed our Young Athletes, Gymnastics Team, and athletes from School of the Future and some of our bocce athletes. Athletes in the parade were escorted by members of the Temple University Football Team. After the athletes took their seats, a remarkable edition of the National Anthem was sung by a parent, Denine Aversa as Frankford High Schools Junior ROTC Color Guard lead by Cadet Kevin Olsen presented the colors. 

Click to View Full-Screen ImageAfterward, Director of Special Olympics PA – Philadelphia, Britt Kleine, spoke and introduced Mayor of Philadelphia, Jim Kenney, who gave words of his support of Special Olympics, appreciation for everyone involved, and encouragement for the athletes about to compete. After Mayor Kenney spoke, Councilman Derek Green spoke and presented Special Olympics PA – Philadelphia with a Citation from the City of Philadelphia to honor the 40th Anniversary of the Philadelphia Spring Games. Opening Ceremony ended with the Flame of Hope being brought in by the Law Enforcement Torch Run and escorted by, retired professional boxer, Bernard Hopkins. After the excitement of the Flame of Hope arriving at the 40th Annual Philadelphia Spring Games, Allie and John kept the energy high by proclaiming the Games Open!Click to View Full-Screen Image

Athletes parted ways to partake in athletics (track and field), basketball, and tennis competition. As competition started, our VIP guests got to participate in a Unified Bocce Experience with some of our community bocce athletes as well as athletes from our Interscholastic Unified School, School of the Future. Two courts were set up and after a brief training for our VIP guests, the experience was on its way! Everyone who participated had a great time and athletes played alongside our VIP guests. Our Young Athletes who are not old enough to compete as an official Special Olympics athlete, showed off their skills at William Penn Charter’s playground as they completed an obstacle course that was set up especially to show off their skills.

Click to View Full-Screen ImageBesides competition, the Olympic Village offered a place for athletes to relax and do some fun activities while waiting for their turn to compete. In addition, sponsor PriceWaterhouseCoopers was at the grill, firing up some burgers, hot dogs and chicken sandwiches for spectators as well as selling some beverages and souvenirs. The day ended with athletes being awarded medals in order of their finish at their respective competition site. Everyone left happy, and for those athletics and tennis athletes – a little tanner!

Thank you to the coaches, assistant coaches, and families who helped all of our athletes prepare for the 40th Annual Philadelphia Spring Games! A huge thank you to all of the volunteers who made this day possible!

Results:

Athletics:

Coming Soon!

Basketball:

Team Athletes Place
Bad News Bears    
Timberwolves    
Wildcats    
Ballers    
Blazers    
Hawks    
Hoops    
Phlames    
Phlash    
Rebels    

 

Tennis:

Coming Soon!

 

Via Kristen Applegate YouTube channel on behalf of Temple University

 

Photos by Dane

 

PHOTOS: Special Olympics holds annual Philadelphia Spring Games at Penn Charter in East Falls

 

Thank you to our sponsors:

for making this event a celebration!

                       PECO Logo 

 

Legacy Youth Tennis and Education Logo     

 

Brandywine Realty Trust LogoThe Gish Rockford Family

On Tuesday, April 4, 2017, SOPA Philly hosted a Unified Bocce Demonstration at the School District of Philadelphia Head Quarters (440) in the atrium for all to see! The two winning teams from our Philadelphia Unified Bocce Championship championship that did not advance to Hershey – a team from Thomas Edison and another from George Washington, along with a team from Kensington HS joined us at 440 to take part in this fun day.

There was a small program prior to the demonstration where a partner from the George Washington team who played in Hershey addressed the crowd and shared their experience in Hershey, and then two athletes from Edison.

The Edison and George Washington teams played off against one another to demonstrate a skilled game and teammates from Kensington played alongside administrative personnel from within the school building who came down to experience the magic of Unified firsthand. Not only did administrative personnel come down to play, there was a crowd watching the showcase, including from the balconies above. 

Photos from the Showcase

After finishing first at the 2017 IUS Philadelphia Bocce Championship, two George Washington teams an a team from Thomas Edison were placed into a hat to see who would represent Philadelphia at the 2017 Interscholastic Unified State Bocce Championships.  At the end, one of the teams from George Washington Eagles moved on to represent Philadelphia. Members of the George Washington Team 1 headed to Hershey, PA on Thursday, March 23rd to be there when competition started early on Friday, March 24th. 

George Washington showed up early to the Giant Center in Hershey, PA to go for the gold. In the first round, they went up against the Upper Dauphin Trojans and lost in a 7-8 game. Although the chance of gold slipped through their fingers with just one point, our George Washington Eagles did not lose sight of sportsmanship and congratulated the Trojans with their heads held high. In their final match, the Eagles went for the bronze medal as they went up against the Sun Valley Vanguards. The Eagles gave it their best shot, but in the end lost their second match. Like the first match, they congratulated the Vanguards with a smile on their face. Although the Eagles lost both of their matches, they had a great time spending the night in Hershey, PA and going against teams from across the state.

Results:

 
Gold Division
Blue Division
1st

Elizabeth Forward Warriors

Rochester Rams

2nd

Upper Dauphin Trojans

Grove City Eagles 

3rd

Sun Valley Vanguards

Souderton Indians

4th

George Washington  Eagles

Strath Haven Panthers

Bracket for 2017 Unified Bocce Championship

 

Photos by Dane Hilderbrand:

AREA M Fall Classic Logo

This past Sunday, October 9th, 700 Special Olympics Pennsylvania athletes met in Hershey, PA for Area M’s 2016 Fall Classic. 22 of these athletes were Philadelphia soccer players on the 7v7 team, Philly Strykers, and 5v5 team, Stars and Stripes. Other sports offered at this competition were Long Distance Running/Walking, Powerlifting, and Volleyball.

Click here to check out photos from the event, courtesy of PennLive! Philadelphia teams are in the teal/black jerseys!

 

Area M’s 2016 Fall Classic Facebook Event

 

SOCCER
Team Athletes Head Coach Place
Philly Strykers     7 v 7 Matthew Grabowski, Joseph Rynkiewicz, Ryan Bogan, Charles Zisette, Angel Rodriguez, Brian Stulz, Mitchell Stahl, Samuel Fioravanti Jr, Jason Bixby, Daniel Charlton, Jesse Rose, Matthew Beckman Ryan Milaniak  2nd Place
Stars and Stripes 5 v 5  Ian Capacio, Allison Davidson, Danny Amrick, Jackie Lutts, Emmett Abdo, Lisa Barbour, Kristie Walls, Michael Weinberg, David Brent Williams, Kayla Atkins Charles Abdo  1st Place

 

Thank you to our two Head Coaches and the Assistant Coaches from the Philly Strykers: Gary Bixby, Walt Beckman, Samuel Fioravanti Sr, Linda Rose and John Rose and the Assistant Coaches from Stars and Stripes: Ronald Atkins and Karen Aviso, who put in long hours to help our athlete prepare for this tournament!

On Sunday, October 2nd, 46 Philadelphia athlete competed at the 2016 Eastern Fall Sectional held at East Stroudsburg University. Athletes competed in Bocce, Soccer, and Volleyball. It was a pretty dreary day, but Philadelphia shone with their bright uniforms. Our soccer athletes wore teal, you couldn’t miss our volleyball athletes in neon green and our bocce athletes wore sunshine yellow. All of our athletes competed with determination to make it to Fall Fest. With their coaches on the sideline, giving support, our athletes gave their best performance on the field/court. With the newly introduced hashtag, #SOPAFallEast, athletes, volunteers, coaches and fans were able to share their experiences of the day with everyone!

Congratulations to our Team 1 in Bocce (Pam Galone and John Kulpa), our 5v5 team, Stars and Stripes, and our 7v7 team, Philadelphia Strikers, for advancing to Fall Festival held next month! 

2016 #SOPAFallEAST Facebook Event

 

Results:

Bocce
Team 1 Pamela Galone & John Kulpa  
Team 2 Teddy Angerman & Raymond Anderson 4th Place 
Team 3 Christiana DiVergils & Sharon Quarles  3rd Place
Team 4 Bryan Ziegler & Kevin Karcher  2nd Place
Unified Team 1 Carole Angerman & Irwin Fox  

Thank you to Head Coach Carole Canady and Assistant Coaches Michelle Angerman, Carolyn Driscoll who put in long hours to help our athlete prepare for this tournament!

Soccer
Team Athletes Head Coach Place
Philly Strykers   (7 v 7) Matthew Grabowski, Joseph Rynkiewicz, Ryan Bogan, Charles Zisette, Angel Rodriguez, Brian Stulz, Mitchell Stahl, Samuel Fioravanti Jr, Jason Bixby, Daniel Charlton, Jesse Rose, Matthew Beckman Ryan Milaniak  2nd Place
Stars and Stripes (5 v 5) Ian Capacio, Allison Davidson, Danny Amrick, Jackie Lutts, Emmett Abdo, Kristie Walls, Michael Weinberg, David Brent Williams Charles Abdo  3rd Place

Thank you to our two Head Coaches and the Assistant Coaches from the Philly Strykers: Gary Bixby, Walt Beckman, Samuel Fioravanti Sr, Linda Rose and John Rose and the Assistant Coaches from Stars and Stripes: Ronald Atkins and Karen Aviso, who put in long hours to help our athlete prepare for this tournament!

Volleyball
Team Athletes Head Coach Place

Philadelphia Warriors

Lavar Gladden, Demetrius LeFlore, Benjamin Liken, Davon Clements, Abdul Muhammed, Michael Henderson, Anthony Flanigan, Nicole Stanley, Kenneth Lamont, Denzel McFadden William Holman  

Thank you to the Head Coach, William, and Assistant Coaches Tamika Holman and Beverly Liken who put in long hours to help our athlete prepare for this tournament!

Volleyball Individual Skills
Joseph Barut  
James Shelton  

Thank you to Head Coach, Jon Garvey, who put in long hours to help our athlete prepare for this tournament!

Photos

Volunteer at the Philadelphia Marathon and be a part of Team Special Olympics PA without hitting the pavement!

 
Want to be part of our Philadelphia Marathon team, but hate running? Good news for you! Volunteer at the Philadelphia Marathon to ensure the event runs smoothly for all participants. Sign up as an individual or a group, and don’t forget to mention that you are volunteering on Team Special Olympics Pennsylvania!
 
Volunteer positions are on Friday, November 18th, Saturday, November 19th, and Sunday, November 20th. Volunteer times range from morning to evening, so you will be sure to find a position that suits your schedule. Volunteer positions include bag stuffing, assisting with bib and t-shirt pick up, fun zone assistant, helping in the official merchandise area, gear check, volunteer check-in, people moving, start and finish line assistant, awards ceremonies, clothing collection, handing out Gatorade and water, handing out heat sheets, handing our refreshments, and more!
 
Register to Volunteer at the Philadelphia Marathon
 
When you register, you will see a drop down menu for the question “Are registering on behalf of a team? If so, select from list below:”, please select “Special Olympics Pennsylvania” to support our cause!
2016 Marathon Volunteer Screenshot
 
Forgot to register for the race? Join Team Special Olympics PA here!
 
Questions concerning volunteering or running on behalf of Special Olympics PA
Kristin Craven| kcraven@specialolympicspa.org | 610.630.9450 x 252
Philadelphia-Plunge-logo-BEAR
 
The Philadelphia Polar Plunge is coming back to town!
 
Mark your calendars for Friday, December 2nd and get excited to take an icy cold dip in one of our two above ground pools at Drexel University’s Fitness Plaza.
 
Join us as hundreds of brave individuals jump into an icy cold pool to warm the hearts of our Special Olympics Philadelphia athletes. The goal of the #PhillyPlunge is to raise funds for Philadelphia athletes and to build awareness of the many activities we offer to our athletes free of charge.
 
How do YOU want to participate?
 
Plunge during one of our time slots into one of our icy cold pools!
Be the leader of your celebration (group of polar bears) and let the fun begin!
Come be part of the fun, but stay on warm, dry land.
 
Can’t make the date? Sponsor a Plunger
 
Past participants can login with your old username/password
New participants must create a new profile
 

#PhillyPlunge Schedule:

Cool Schools Plunge for High Schools
10am – 12pm
Business Plunge for Business Executives
12pm – 2pm
General Public Plunge for everyone!
5pm – 7pm
University Plunge for College Students
7pm -9pm
 
Need some help signing up online? Click for step-by-step instructions: