Fall 2014
www.specialolympicsgf.com
Wishing You and Yours a Happy
and Blessed Holiday Season!
Special Olympics Grand Forks
Winter Games meeting Pg 4
Doctor’s Recommendations Pg 5
Holiday Banquet
Basketball Preview Pg 7
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Congratulations on
Sponsor-a-Bowler
Success!
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When:
Thursday, December 4th, 2014
Time:
5:30-9:00pm
Where:
Holy Family Catholic Church
One of our most successful
fundraisers of the year has
once again broken the
previous year’s record. But
that’s not all! This year’s
fundraising total of $13,900 is
an all-time record for Special
Olympics of Grand Forks!
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1018 South 18th St, Grand Forks
Cost:
$5 per person
RSVP:
Please RSVP online!
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Athlete Spotlights Pg 2
Link to RSVP online: http://bit.ly/RSVPBanquet
These funds allowed the
bowling participants to take a
charter bus to the State
Bowling competition in
Bismarck AND our athletes
and coaches were able to
enjoy a pizza party after the
dance.
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Please join us in celebrating the year’s
Thank you to all of our
wonderful fundraisers for a
spectacular year!
accomplishments and the upcoming Holiday
season! NOTE: no gift exchange this year.
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Athlete Spotlights:
James Wolfgram and Kassie Jacobson
James Wolfgram, who goes by “Wolfy”, is
the 2018 Special Olympics USA National
Summer Games. (photo on pg 6)
30 years old and has been participating in
Special Olympics for 8 years. Wolfy currently
participates in bowling, basketball, Track,
Unified Soccer, and Powerlifting. He has also
previously participated in Unified Volleyball
and Unified Team Handball. Wolfy's favorite Special Olympics moment was
being selected as an All-Tournament player two
years in a row in basketball. "I really enjoy
winning gold and silver medals...especially the
gold ones!” he said.
Wolfy's favorite Special Olympics sport is
bowling, especially when he gets multiple
strikes in a row, and bowls an occasional
“Turkey", which is 3 strikes in a row. He has
bowled a 221 game and has had one 600 series
during his Special Olympics bowling career.
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Kassie Jacobson is 35 years old has been
participating in Special Olympics since she was
17 years old. Kassie started Special Olympics
in Larimore, ND prior to moving to the Grand
Forks program. She participates in bowling,
basketball, Unified Soccer, and Unified
Volleyball.
Kassie's favorite Special Olympics moment was
winning a silver medal during the 2014 State
Bowling Tournament. Kassie bowled her best
game yet…a 164! Kassie said "I really enjoy
winning gold and silver medals"
Kassie's favorite Special Olympics sport is
bowling, especially when she bowls strikes! She also enjoys bowling because she gets to
see her boyfriend’s parents and family who
always attend the State Bowling Tournament.
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Wolfy's favorites:
Sport Saying: "Keep trying your best"
Food: Lasagna
Movie: "Rock Star" because it's about a guy
trying to be a band member; the movie also
has cool music! Wolfy likes to play the drums
when he wants to "Rock-out"
Hobbies: hanging out at the Listen Center,
spending time with his friend Tina, and his
other friends; driving his car, a Chevy Cobalt,
around town; and visiting his friend Daarin who
lives in Wisconsin. Wolfy, although a Dallas
Cowboys fan, plans on attending a Green Bay
Packers game at Lambeau Field this year while
in Wisconsin…he thought it would be cool to
catch a Packers game!
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Kassie's favorites:
Sport Saying: "Never Give Up"
Food: Steak
Movie: "50 First Dates" because she thinks it is
so funny and Adam Sandler makes her laugh!
Hobbies: visiting neighbors, going to a nearby
horse farm to calm the horses down, horseback
riding when she goes to visit family, going to
UND Hockey games, and watching both the
Minnesota Twins and Vikings play.
(photo on pg 6)
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Congratulations for the great accomplishments
of both of our spotlighted athletes. We are
proud of you! Keep up the great work!
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Special Olympics goal: To keep working hard
and hopefully receive a nomination and
selection to represent Team North Dakota at
-By Dave Schultheis
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2014 Bowling Wrap up
Congratulations to our Greater Grand Forks
year, or even in other sports!! I am very
bowlers, coaches, and volunteers on another
proud of each and every one of our athletes
wonderful bowling season!
for the great effort and good sportsmanship
Our season began in September and ended
they showed throughout the season.
with the State Bowling Tournament, which
We had over 90 athletes participate
was held in Mandan November 1st and 2nd. I
throughout the season, and we had 70 of
am so proud of all of our athletes who
those athletes attend the state tournament.
practiced hard and had great performances at
Many of our bowlers this year were first-
the state tournament….we brought home 36
timers, which was fun to see. Way to go and
medals in all! You were all champions
keep recruiting, so the program can continue
throughout the entire season.
to grow. I look forward to seeing you all next
We were especially lucky to have awesome
year.
volunteers again this year. Various athletic
-Coach Sue Schaumburg
teams from UND volunteered throughout the
season including track and field, softball, and
baseball. We also had community volunteers
help us out and we all had a great time. As
with all Special Olympic events, we could not
give our athletes such a great experience
without the work of our great volunteers. Our
bowling volunteers made our jobs as coaches
so much easier and we truly enjoyed their
time with us. Hopefully, they enjoyed
themselves so much that they will return next
Special Olympics Grand Forks HOTLINE!
Call this number to find out about practice times,
locations, and cancellations:
701-732-0101
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Let me win…..
Our Special Olympics oath begins with the words
“Let me win”, and it goes on to say “But if I cannot
win, let me be brave in the attempt.” One of our
challenges over the next year is to have all of our
Grand Forks delegation of athletes respect that
oath. Competition in sports lends itself to friendly
rivalries. Each Special Olympics athlete in the state
of North Dakota has the chance to develop
friendships with others across the State. That
includes those we compete against. Friendly rivalry
is just that – friendly. It is not okay to talk badly
about someone or someone’s team, and it is
especially not OK to use profanity, swearing or cuss
words at any point during Special Olympics
practices, competitions, or events. Everyone who
competes with Special Olympics should do so with
our oath in mind. Remember these words – “if you
can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all.”
Let us all remember the oath as we compete and
let’s Celebrate Champions together throughout the
year and beyond!
-By Meredith Baumann
“Let me win. But if I cannot win,
let me be brave in the attempt.”
Hockey Parking
Bank Forward, located near the
Ralph Engelstad Arena, has allowed
Special Olympics of Grand Forks to
use their parking lot to charge
people a fee to park there during
UND home hockey games. This has
been a very successful fund raiser
over the past few years and it takes
the work of our great volunteers to
make it happen. We have 8
remaining “parking” weekends and
we are asking for help from
volunteers to cover the rest of the
games. Ideally, two volunteers each
night are needed. One volunteer is
in charge of collecting the $10
donations while the other volunteer
offers a “shuttle” service to bring
hockey fans from the parking lot to
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the doors of the arena. Time
commitment is usually 90 minutes
prior to game time and we provide
all the necessary equipment for the
fund raiser, except a vehicle for
shuttling. If you do volunteer for
Winter Games!
this event and want to be the
“shuttle” volunteer, we ask that you
Special Olympics Grand Forks
have a valid driver’s license and a
will offer alpine skiing, nordic
reliable, clean (inside and out),
skiing, and snowshoeing for our
smoke free vehicle. You can sign up
winter games season. For those
to volunteer for hockey parking by
interested in participating in
going to specialolympicsgf.org. You
these sports, join us on
may also sign up to volunteer online
December 1 at 6:30pm at the
by following the link below:
Lincoln Park warming house for
http://bit.ly/HockeySignup
an organizational meeting.
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The Doctor’s Recommendations
By Dr. Pat Moore
As we are shifting into from fall to winter and
7. Dress properly for the weather conditions.
the sports associated with them, it is
If practicing or participating outdoors,
important to do the things that will keep you
especially in the winter, it is better to have
healthy, avoid illness, and allow you to
multiple layers of clothes, so that you can
participate in sports to the best of your ability.
remove layers if needed. Good hats and
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gloves are important to prevent frostbite of
Here are some of the basic things that you can
your ears and fingers.
do for your health to ensure a successful sports
shoes or boots are important to prevent
season:
frostbite of your feet as well. If your ears,
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Good socks and
nose, fingers or toes are starting to get
1. Make sure that you are getting adequate
painful when outdoors, that is probably an
rest.
indication that you are at risk for frostbite.
2. Make sure that you are drinking plenty of
The first thing you should do, if possible, is
fluids, especially when you are practicing
get inside and warm up the painful area.
or competing.
Drinking warm fluids will also help in the
3. Get your flu shot.
warming process. You should NEVER rub an
4. When you cough or sneeze, be sure to cover
area with ice or snow if you are concerned
your mouth to prevent spreading germs.
about frostbite because that could
Cover your coughs or sneezes preferably
potentially damage the tissue worse. As the
with your arm and NOT your hand.
temperature goes down, and the wind
5. Use hand sanitizer and always wash your
increases, it is important to pay attention
hands after using the bathroom.
to the wind chill factor, because you are at
6. If you are ill, especially if you are running a
greater risk of frostbite and may not be
fever, you should stay at home so that you
able to be out in the cold as long as you
can recover and also avoid causing other
normally could on a warmer day.
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people to get sick.
Have a safe and healthy winter sports season!
-Dr. Pat Moore
Check out our website for the latest updates!
We’ll post photos from the latest event, upcoming practice calendars with
locations and times, and more!
www.SpecialOlympicsGF.com
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From the Director’s Desk
Another season is upon us!
With late fall came the end of
our bowling season. Now, we
look forward to our winter
sports and basketball seasons.
“Winter sports” is its own
special sports season, which
includes snow shoeing, cross country (Nordic)
skiing, and downhill skiing (Alpine). Team
Handball is usually part of winter sports,
however we will not be offering handball this
year. After Winter Sports, we have the highly
anticipated basketball season coming up. You
can find more information about basketball
season in this newsletter.
By the time you read this, another State
Special Olympics awards banquet will have
come and gone. The event, held annually in
Fargo, is a time for the celebration of the past
year’s accomplishments by volunteers, areas,
and athletes.
This year’s theme is
“Champions Together.” Everyone who
participates in Special Olympics is a
Champion.
Athletes, special partners,
coaches and volunteers are all Champions.
Congratulations to all award winners from this
year’s banquet. Watch our Facebook page for
updates on any area winners.
Speaking of celebrations, our annual holiday
banquet is scheduled for December 5th.
Please join us for a fun evening of great food,
prizes, and companionship with your fellow
athletes, coaches, and volunteers. Please see
page 1 of this newsletter for more details and
information on how to RSVP.
The current goal for Special Olympics Grand
Forks is growth…specifically growing our
number of youth athlete participants.
Wouldn’t it be great to have school based
teams from Central, Red River, Schroeder,
South and Valley? To do that, we will be
working with the Grand Forks school system
via the teachers, as well as through the youth
volunteers partners club, to spread the word
and gain support. Kyle Rassmussen is one of
our AMT members who has attended a
movement with Special Olympics International
called Youth Activation Council. Great things
will come of this effort and it will bring us
closer to our goal of growing participation.
Growth is also happening in our volunteer
department. Alex Nagle, a Special Olympics
volunteer and a UND student, is helping to
start a group on UND’s campus called “Special
Olympics Club” (SO Club). The purpose of this
club is to be involved with SOND’s volunteer
base. Club members may become partners,
coaches, or help develop unified teams that
can compete against other colleges/
universities who have a similar clubs or
organization.
We are excited about this
development and expect to welcome a new
group of volunteers in the coming years.
This year, we were saddened by the loss of
one of our longtime athletes. Karen Rysavy
was a champion with our area who passed
away this fall.
Karen participated with
Special Olympics Grand Forks for many years.
She was most recently involved with our bocce
team, bowling team, cheerleading squad, and
track team. She will be missed dearly by all
us at Special Olympics.
Wishing you and yours a happy and healthy
holiday season. I look forward to seeing you
in the coming months during winter sports
seasons. Go Grand Forks!
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-Meredith Baumann
Special Olympics Grand Forks Director
Basketball Starts Thursday, January 8 2015
Special Olympics Grand Forks (SOGF) is excited for the upcoming 2015 basketball season. Athletes
are going to be split into 2 practice locations according to age. Here are the details:
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Youth Athletes (8 to 21)
Athletes in the youth category (ages 8 through 21) will have practice at Valley Middle School from
6:30 to 8:00 on Tuesdays and Thursdays with the first practice taking place on January 8. Youth
practices will be split into two parts. The first part of the practice will run from 6:30 to 7:15 and
will entail working on individual skills development. At 7:15, parents will have the option to either
take their child home for the night, or have the athletes can stay for the remaining 45 minutes
where we will work on team skills and scrimmaging. !
Adult Athletes (22 or older)
Adult athletes will have practice at South Middle School from 6:30 to 8:00 on Mondays and
Thursdays. Their first practice is also scheduled for January 8th. !
There may be a few times where we combine practices when gyms are not available for
consecutive practice dates. Check our website, Facebook page, or Special Olympics hotline for
practice alerts.
Pictures (L to R):
(Left) Congratulations to Bailey Bjorge on being selected as Central High School’s 2014
Homecoming Queen! (Center) James “Wolfy” Wolgram is one of this month’s Spotlight Athletes
(pg 2). (Right) Kassie Jacobson is our other Spotlight Athlete this month (pg 2).
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Area Management
Team Members
Meredith Baumann
Area Director
!Tim Baumann
Assistant Director
!Josh Parrill
Special Olympics
Training
Will Kusler
Competition
Jolene Mikkelson
Fundraising
Sara Sand
Youth Council
Fundraising
Youth Activation
Committee
Athlete Representative
!Stacy Kusler
Public Relations
!Joan Schultheis
Fundraising Chair
!Dave Schultheis
Member at Large
!Sue Schaumburg
!Amy Geinert
Member at Large
!Dr. Pat Moore
Medical
!Kristin O’Connor
Outreach
!Kyle Rassmussen
Special Olympics North Dakota
Grand Forks Area
2616 South 26th Street
Grand Forks, ND 58201
!Laura Bakken
Youth Advisory Council
!Patty McGlynn
Athlete Representative
!David Dahlgren
Athlete Representative
!Tommy Mikkelson
NON-PROFIT ORG.
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
Grand Forks, ND 58201
PERMIT No. 42
CURRENT RESIDENT OR