Special Olympics

Special Olympics Arizona hosted the 2009 Summer Games this weekend at Mesa Community College. The Wal-Mart Foundation donated $70,000 to Special Olympics Arizona to help with the Healthy Athletes Initiative - a program that provides free dental, hearing, foot, bone density and other screenings to the athletes.


The program has saved lives in other states, and was able to improve lives at the games this past weekend - many of the athletes who had hearing aids were still unable to hear well. With a quick hearing aid setting change by the audiologist, their hearing was improved dramatically.

We set to work to do some PR for the games and the Wal-Mart donation. ABC 15 was awesome and did their weather at 4:15, 5:15 and 6:15 p.m. live from the games. The athletes were THRILLED when they got to be on TV!


It was fun to be part of something that was so cool for the athletes! I was especially impressed by a program they have called United Partners. In this program, Special Olympics athletes train with regular athletes at a local high school. Then there are several events, such as relay races, at the Special Olympics that allow them to compete together. Both sets of athletes seemed to LOVE this program!