RUSS ALLEN: Thankful for support for Special Olympics

Fellow citizens of Dougherty County and Southwest Georgia, I want to take this opportunity to thank you for your support for Special Olympics Dougherty in 2015. We recently concluded our car raffle fundraiser which raised almost $8,500 for our local athletes!

We could not have done this without the generous donation of the car by DOCO Credit Union, who allowed us to keep the money we raised for travel, uniforms, and other expenses in putting on our local Games. Special thanks goes out to Deidra Langstaff at MADLab, Becky Belcher of DOCO, the Exchange Club of Albany, American Legion Post 335, the Albany Advocacy Resource Center, our Special Olympics Dougherty Management Team, and all of the DCSS teachers and principals who helped us sell tickets.

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention one management team member in particular for his tireless, energetic efforts to promote the car raffle: Mr. Seaborn Jackson. I think he had more fun than anyone else involved making this happen, and we certainly would not have been as successful without his devotion to the cause!

I would also like to take this opportunity to encourage you to come out to our local Winter Games Friday, Dec. 4, at the HPER Gym at ASU. The opening ceremonies will be held at 9:30 a.m., complete with a parade of athletes and lighting of the torch. If you can come out that morning to cheer our athletes on as they complete in events such as team basketball, or bowling at the All American Fun Park, you will see first hand why Special Olympics is such an important part of our community.

These athletes train hard to compete in their chosen events, and to see the determination and pure joy they experience in competing is worth every minute! Our partners at Albany State University do a wonderful job helping us put these Games on, as do the folks at Albany Parks and Recreation that put on the Olympic Town activities. We also thank Dr. David Wren and his helpful staff for volunteering to conduct the physicals needed beforehand so our athletes can safely compete.

As we move from this Thanksgiving season into the holidays, I am thankful for all of those in our community who work so hard to make Special Olympics Dougherty successful. If you are looking for an opportunity to volunteer to a worthy cause that really makes a difference in someone’s life, please consider Special Olympics Dougherty! When you see the smile of one of our athletes when they finish competing in an event, you won’t regret it!

Rushton “Russ” Allen is the local chair for Special Olympics Dougherty.