Sam s Club in Marion IL. Raises $11,000 for Special Olympics Illinois Area 15

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1 Issue 1 July 2015 Sam s Club in Marion IL. Raises $11,000 for Special Olympics Illinois Area 15 This year, Sam s Club conducted a storewide fundraising campaign to benefit Special Olympics. Sam s Club in Marion raised a whopping $11,000 for the Southern Area 15 Program! Sam s Club also sponsored our 2015 SIU Campus Lake Polar Plunge and Donate Dash and provided all the water and fruit for the Race! This June, Area 15 Director Paul Melzer and Athletes John Henley and Eric Baumann presented a cer ficate and plaque to Sam s Club and its employees to recognize all the me and work they put in to help the Special Olympics Illinois raise money. Thank you to Sam s Club in Marion and all of its employees for their unwavering support of our Athletes and Programs. You are truly transforming the lives of the Special Olympic Illinois athletes!

2 Special Olympics Illinois Southern Area 15 Paul Melzer Area Director 608 E. College St. Southern Illinois Ducky Derby Dash The first ever Southern Illinois Ducky Derby Dash is the newest signature fundraising event for the Special Olympics Illinois. On September 6, 2015 at the Du Quoin State Fair come watch as 5,000+ ducks splash into the lake behind the Expo Hall! Race Day kicks off at 11 a.m. and includes fun for the whole family live music, face pain ng, games, and an appearance by Splash, the duck mascot. If you Adopt the one of the first Ducks that crosses the finish line you could win one of our great Grand Prizes including an all-inclusive vaca on to Cancun courtesy of Apple Vaca ons, $2,000 in cash courtesy of Country Financial, a NASCAR XFINITY Series package courtesy of Chicagoland Speedway and many more to come! Adop ng a duck is quick and easy. The more you adopt the be er your chances of winning will be. Adopt your ducks or form a sales team and help raise money for Special Olympics Illinois by Visi ng our website at Carbondale, IL Phone: Fax: pmelzer@soill.org Website: soill.org facebook.com/ SOILLArea15 Twi Oath: Let Me Win, But if I Cannot Win, Let me be Brave in the A empt. Upcoming Events A quick look at our upcoming events from July 25th to October 16th, 2015.

3 Gold s Gym in Marion Helps Special Olympic Athletes win Gold For the past 6 months, Gold s Gym in Marion Illinois has played host to 7 Special Olympics Illinois Southern Area 15 powerli ers, helping them train for the recent District and State Powerli ing Compe ons. Area 15 Director Paul Melzer said I cannot thank Gold s Gym enough for their support. Not only have they allowed our athletes to train at their facility in Marion 100% Free of Charge, but their staff has also donated a ton of their me to personally train our athletes 1 on 1. A er all the training, the Lightning Bolts sent 7 powerli ers to the recent state games. Owner Shane Smith, Manager Shane Grinnell, and Trainer Phillip Li le helped train these athletes to bring home some serious hardware. The magnificent-seven competed in 26 events and came home with 26 medals 21 of them being gold. First year powerli ers Cody Ball, Gage Ball, Jay Denham and Marisa Prendergast set the bar high for the rest of the team. Cody received three gold medals in three events including a state championship. Gage, Denham, and Prendergast all won 4 gold medals each and all won a state championship. Newcomer Charles Randolph earned four medals two golds, one silver and one bronze. Returning li er Tony Wood competed strongly while dealing with a knee injury earning one gold and two silver medals. Team Captain aka the old pro John Henley brought it all home when he won the 74 kilo weight class championship with a three li total of 740 pounds out li ing his closest compe tor by 65 pounds! Big Thanks to our Friends at Gold s Gym in Marion for you re support. You re commitment to our athletes is second to none and you have truly helped transform each and every one of their lives. Upcoming Events July 22, 2015 Special Olympics Night Athletes get in free at Rent One Park in Marion July 25, 2015 District So ball in Springfield Illinois August 14, 2015 MATP at Human Service Center August 28, 2015 Du Quoin State Fair Parade Themes are Ducky Derby Dash and Spread the Word to End the Word September 6, 2015 Ducky Derby Dash at the Du Quoin State Fair

4 SIU Credit Union Makes a Splash for Special Olympics Illinois SIU Credit Union has joined the Ducky Derby Dash by becoming a Bronze Medal Sponsor for the 2015 Event. On July 9 SIUCU Vice President of Business Development Kim Babington presented a check to Ducky Derby Dash Ambassador, John Henley. We would like to thank all of our sponsors for the Ducky Derby Dash SIU Credit Union, Du Quoin Evening Call, WSILTV, River Radio, Apple Vaca ons, Riu Hotels and Resorts, Country Financial, Chicagoland Speedway, Du Quoin State Fair, C and C Pumps and Supply, Ducks Unlimited, Roland Machinery Co, the St. Louis Blues, Alongi s Italian Restaurant, St. Nicholas BC, The Late Bill Mathis Sr. and Family, and Ward Chrysler and Ward KIA Center in Carbondale. Upcoming Events September 7, 2015 Du Quoin State Fair 5K to benefit Special Olympics Illinois. More info to come! September 12-13, 2015 Outdoor Sports Fest in Decatur Illinois. All gold medal winners at District So ball will be eligible to advance in state compe on September 21, 23, 25 Area 15 Bowling Tournament at SI Bowl in Carterville. Males on the 21st, Female s on the 23rd, and Male/ Doubles/Team on 25th September 26, 2015 Nocked and Loaded to benefit Special Olympics Illinois

5 Special Olympics Night at Rent One Park in Marion Join us at Rent One Park in Marion on July 22, 2015 for Special Olympics Night. All Special Olympics Athletes get in to the game for free! Gates open at 6, game me is set for 7:05pm. Athletes will have a chance to par cipate in a pregame parade and meet the players prior to the game. Addi onal packages can be purchased for Family, Friends, and all Special Olympics Illinois Supporters, including a $20 package that includes Game Ticket, Hotdog, Chips, Drink and T-Shirt, with $4 coming back to Special Olympics Illinois for each package purchased. The Miners also have $4 lawn seats, $8 box seats, and $13 club seats. On Wednesdays there is also a Family Four Pack which includes four box seats and 4 perfect game coupons (hot dog, chips, and drink) for $28. All ckets go up one dollar if you purchase them the day of the game. For more informa on Jon Browfield at jbownfield@southernillinoisminers.com or Prior to the Miners Game that evening, 4 Special Olympics Illinois So ball teams the Southern Illinois Lightning Bolts and Choate Panthers from Area 15, the JC Jets from Area 14, and Clinton County Cats from Area 12 will be par cipa ng in a Tournament at Rent One Park. The Lightning Bolts and JC Jets will play at 12:00pm, Choate and the Clinton Co Cats will play at 2:00pm. July 22 is also Knock Hunger out of the Park Night. Folks are encouraged to bring canned goods to the game that night. All donated items will help support local food pantries. For every 10 Canned Goods you bring to the game, you will receive a free T-Shirt from our friends at Silkworm. Upcoming Events October 1, 2015 Fall Coaches Mee ng at Dunn Richmond Center in Carbondale. A end one session from 3-4:30 or 6-7:30 October 10, 2015 Chili Bowl at Trenton City Park in Trenton Illinois. October 11, 2015 Southern Regional Flag Football Tournament at Trenton City Park in Trenton Illinois October 16, 2015 District Bocce at First Chris an Church in Herrin. Entries due by September 16, 2015

6 Washington Wild Things Host 3 Special Olympics Illinois Southern Area 15 Teams for Weekend Series at Rent One Park On June 26-28, 2015 Manager John Wagner and the Washington Wild Things of the Fron er League hosted the SI Hot-Rodders, the Lightning Bolts, and Progress Port for their weekend series against the Miners. Athletes, their families, and coaches received free entry to the game, got to hang out with the players on the field prior to the game, throw out the first pitch, serve at bat boys/girls, sing the 7th inning stretch, and received autographs from all the players. Big Thanks to the Wild Things Organiza on, their coaching staff, and their players for all their support, this is certainly an experience our athletes will never forget! Story Ideas? Have an idea for a story? Want to recognize one of your athletes accomplishments? Please all story ideas to internarea15@soill.org