Special Olympics Indiana 2019 ANNUAL REPORT
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Directory Board of Directors and Staff Members 08 AUGUST: More than 1,600 individuals take part in our 18th annual Plane Pull Challenge at the Indianapolis Executive Committee Special Olympics Indiana Staff International Airport, where 70 teams compete to pull a FedEx 02-03 Chair Jeff Mohler 19 YEAR IN Boeing 757 airliner in the fastest time. Over $150,000 is raised Board and Staff Ron Stiver President & CEO IU Health at our largest single-day fundraiser of the year. 2019 Year in Review Kevin Aders Chair Elect Regional Manager-Central The annual Eunice Kennedy Mark Sherman 09 SEPTEMBER: 04-05 Petry Wealth Management LLC Nathan Barnes 20 REVIEW Shriver Games are held at venues around Indianapolis over A Word from Our CEO Manager of Grants & Communication three weekends, with more than 2,500 athletes competing in Secretary state tournaments for seven sports, including flag football, corn Layla Spanenberg Lindsay Blythe 06-07 Carmel Clay Schools - School Board Volunteer Services Coordinator toss, golf, softball, volleyball, distance running & walking, and equestrian. Our first annualBocce Bash brings together more 2019 Impact Our annual sports calendar begins with Treasurer Julie Burkholder 01 JANUARY: than 200 athletes and supporters and raises over $15,000. Financials Paul Reis Regional Manager-East the 2019 Indiana Winter Games, where dozens of athletes Krieg DeVault LLP from across the state compete in skiing, snowshoeing, and Tori Cox 10 OCTOBER: The Spirit of Special Olympics Indiana snowboarding at Lawrenceburg’s Perfect North Slopes. The At-Large Manager of Middle School Programs Awards are officially presented at ourState Conference, where 08-09 Trent Sandifur Finish Line Million Steps Challenge launches to athletes staff, volunteers, and athletes come together to learn from Building Toward a Brighter Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP Janet Davies involved in Unified Fitness Clubs. Future - Donor Highlight Database Manager one another and to take part in leadership, team-building, and Board Members coaches’ trainings. The IHSAA hosts its 2nd annual Unified Flag Kathy Elliott 02 FEBRUARY: Our signature fundraiser sets new Carl & Betty Erskine Society Football state tournament, with 250 students with and without Bill Benner Unified Champion Schools Coordinator high marks in terms of revenue and participation, as more than Pacers Sports & Entertainment disabilities competing together. Athlete leaders from across 3,000 individuals are “Freezin’ for a Reason” at 16 Polar Plunge 10-11 Cathy Elzinga Indiana take part in the inaugural meeting of our State Athlete Mitch Bonar Associate Director of Sports sites across the state. Nearly $900,000 is raised to benefit Look Into the Future - Input Council, formed in November 2018. Special Olympics - Special Olympics Indiana athletes and to support year-round Athlete Highlight Hamilton County Scott Furnish Vice President of Development & COO programs and events. Spirit of Special Olympics Pat Carney 11 NOVEMBER: Fundraising events dominate Indiana Award Winners ONI Risk Partners Itzel Graber the month as our annual Breakfast with Champions program 03 MARCH: Basketball takes center stage as the Men’s, Manager of Health & Fitness inspires and our Strikes for Special Olympics Indiana bowling Andrew Cohoat Women’s, and Youth State Tournaments are held at Indiana Mesh Systems event unites. Each Area hosts an Area Bowling tournament 12-13 Lisa Graham State, DePauw, and the University of Indianapolis. More than where athletes have a chance to advance to state. Athlete Leadership John Dickerson Unified Champion Schools Consultant 200 schools take part in the Spread the Word banner initiative Arc of Indiana (Retired) to promote inclusion. Mike Hasch Bowling proves once again to be our 14-15 Howard Fowler Director of Unified Champion Schools 12 DECEMBER: Champion Sponsors Duke Energy most popular sport, as more than 3,700 athletes from across the 04 APRIL: Our Athlete Leadership Program continues Jodi Houghton state vie for medals at the 2019 State Bowling Tournament in Unified Champion Schools Matt Goins to gain momentum as more than 70 athlete leaders take part in Office Services Coordinator Indianapolis. AAA Hoosier Motor Club ALPs University training, preparing them for meaningful jobs Karen Kennelly 16-17 John Guy outside the typical role of competitor—as coaches, mentors, Chief Financial Officer Unified Champion Schools Wealth Planning & Management global messengers, board members, photographers, and more. (Retired) 50th Anniversary Golden Patrick Kozlowski Manager of Sports Programs Banner Winners Heather Himes 05 MAY: Each of Special Olympics Indiana’s 10 Areas Special Olympics Indiana - come together for Spring Games competitions—annually Marion County East Buzz Lail 18-19 Director of Programs among the most important events on our athletes’ calendars. William Howard Thousands of students participate in Unified Champion Celebrating our 50th Lee Lonzo Carrie Leibering Director of Champions Together Schools end-of-year events and competition, including Unified Mental Attitude Award Sandor Game Days and Unified Track & Field meets at middle schools Winners Stephanie Manner and high schools across the state. Rob Louthain Director of Special Events Indianapolis Colts 20-21 Mary McClamroch Tracie Martin 06 JUNE: On the heels of the IHSAA’s 6th Annual Office Assistant 50th Anniversary Gallery WANE-TV Unified Track & Field State Finals, a record 2,800 athletes make the trip to Terre Haute to celebrate our 50th anniversary Kristen Metzger Scott Mingle 22-23 Anthem, Indiana Medicaid Director of Sports & Competition and to take part in the 2019 Indiana Summer Games at Indiana Health and Fitness State University and Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology. Lynne Noble Tracy Mortensen Special Olympics Indiana - Associate Director of Development During the Games, 831 health screenings are completed, and 24-25 Tippecanoe County 1,248 pairs of shoes are awarded to athletes who met the Polar Plunge Top Fundraising Kelly Ries Finish Line Million Steps Challenge. Marty Posch Director of Donor Engagement Plane Pull Participants JD Finish Line Youth Foundation Maureen Rumer Our 20th annual Charity Golf Classic is held Dr. Richard Schreiner 07 JULY: Gifts and in Honor Accounting Coordinator Riley Hospital (Retired) near Indianapolis, where more than 30 foursomes hit the links at Prairie View Golf Club to raise money for Special Olympics 26-27 Tommy Walker, Jr. Danielle Smith Indiana State Police, Versailles Manager of Community Partnerships Indiana athletes. Winner’s Circle: Corporate/ Civic/Groups/Foundation Jake Zupancic Francie Smith DataBank Regional Manager-South Special Olympics Indiana 3 A WORD FROM OUR Today, Special Olympics Indiana has the largest UNIFIED CHAMPION SCHOOLS program anywhere in the world. Last school year, 656 Indiana schools, grades K through 12, used our programming. This includes INCLUSIVE STUDENT LEADERSHIP, CEO where students of all intellectual abilities lead, and the adults follow. It includes UNIFIED SPORTS, where students with and without intellectual disabilities play on the same team. It includes WHOLE SCHOOL ACTIVITIES, when all students hear the message of anti-bullying, disability awareness, inclusion, and empowerment. This message has reached more than 260,000 students in our state. By 2022, we want to have programming in over 1,000 schools, benefitting all students, not just those in special education. In 1969, Special Olympics Indiana was created as a But empowerment doesn’t come easily. Our older sports organization FOR people with intellectual athletes experienced years of schooling in separate And this all started because our adult athlete leaders want a disabilities. Now, we are a sports, health, education, facilities. world in which no student eats lunch alone. A simple vision of a advocacy, and leadership organization FROM people world that does not exist yet. But HOPE that it soon will become with intellectual disabilities. We have grown from For athletes about my age, years of schooling in reality. 1,000 athletes that first year . to over 18,000 served classrooms in the far corners of the building. Walking annually today. the hallways with their heads down. Derogatory names Last year, I spoke to our athlete leaders at a bi-annual session like the R-word following them like their shadow. of what we call ATHLETE LEADERSHIP UNIVERSITY. Hosted by While our programs have grown in numbers and scope, Butler University, this is a weekend where our athlete leaders are the biggest, most profound difference between then How can anyone feel empowered with such a label? encouraged to explore their passions and abilities off the playing and now – between 1969 and 2019 – is that we are no field. They receive training in a variety of areas including public longer providing services for people with intellectual Today’s youth in special education . perhaps they speaking, governance, technology, coaching, and health advocacy. disabilities. Instead, we are taking our cues from our are in the same classroom as their peers. Eating lunch athletes themselves. during the same period and at the same table. But During my speech, I challenged the group. I said that if we, as an proximity doesn’t mean INCLUSION. One can still feel organization, really believe in athlete leadership . if we really By changing a simple preposition – “FOR” to “FROM” alone even when others are around. believe in empowering our athletes by working with them to set – it provides this important reminder to me: I may be challenging, yet achievable goals . if we believe in the value of the president & CEO of this great organization. But it’s Today, Special Olympics is much more than sports. And training them and helping them find opportunities to experience not mine. It’s our athletes’ organization. I’m just the we are more than sports because our athletes need us success . then we must believe that there’s nothing in this temporary caretaker. to be more. organization that an athlete leader cannot do. Through our SPORTS programs, our coaches help our Our athlete leaders experienced bullying in school. As They CAN coach fellow athletes. They CAN give public speeches.