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2008 Bowl With Champions
Bowl With Champions, held on January 30, 2008 was a huge success. Retired NFL Players, Special Olympics athletes and fans gathered together for a fun-filled day of bowling.
2008 Super Bowl Raffle Drawing
On January 25, Special Olympics Arizona athlete Mattew France and Retired NFL player Earl Edwards selected the lucky winner of the Ultimate Super Bowl Experience Raffle live on 1060 AM Radio. The winner was Claudette of Tucson, AZ. Congratulations Claudette!
2007 Winter Games
The 2007 Winter Games were held February 23-25 in Flagstaff Arizona. Sporting events from this competition included speed skating, figure skating, floor hockey, alpine skiing, cross country skiing and snowshoeing. The Opening Ceremonies were held at Sinagua High School and included a fun-filled evening of performances by the Sinagua JROTC, dance team and cheerleaders. The evening ended with a dance party. Closing ceremonies were hosted by the Flagstaff Elks Club and included a delicious dinner and BINGO!
2007 Milwaukee Brewers Training Clinic
In March, the Milwaukee Brewers held a training clinic at Maryvale Stadium for Special Olympics Arizona athletes to work on their pitching, catching, hitting, throwing and fielding skills. Over 45 SOAZ athletes attended and had a great time learning from members of the Milwaukee Brewers baseball team. The athletes got a full tour of the stadium and work-out facilities before hitting the field. There was a group warm-up before the athletes rotated around five stations to work one-on-one with the pro athletes. The clinic lasted three hours and ended with SOAZ athletes and the Milwaukee Brewers exchanging hats and gifts, after learning some new techniques and making new friends.
2007 Basketball and Cheerleading
On March 30-31, 2007, over 900 athletes and their families and friends gathered at 11 different venues throughout Mesa, Arizona for the 20th annual Basketball and Cheer competition. 39 delegations participated in this exciting event. The competition was fierce in the basketball tournament, as teams battled for the gold medal. SOAZ cheerleaders competed in both single and group competitions to show of their skills. The Opening Ceremonies occurred on Friday evening in front of a packed house at Fremont Jr. High School.
2007 Bike Week
2007 marked the 8th Annual Chester’s Harley Davidson Torch Ride, put on by Chester’s Harley Davidson in Mesa, AZ. Over 1100 bikers gathered on March 31, 2007 to enjoy a pancake breakfast and meet and greet with our Special Olympics Arizona athletes before taking off on a police-escorted ride to West World in Scottsdale. The ride raised over $25,000 for Special Olympics Arizona. Saturday evening was provided our athletes, staff and volunteers an opportunity to attend the Foreigner concert and sell CDs to raise money for SOAZ. The attendees got to go on stage to raffle off an autographed guitar and thank Chester’s for their continued support of SOAZ.
2007 Summer Games
The 2007 Special Olympics Arizona Summer Games were an event to remember. With over 1200 athletes from all over the state of Arizona competing in track and field, powerlifting, gymnastics, equestrian, softball throw and tennis, it was a weekend filled with fun, friendships, competition and celebration.
2007 Kayaking
2007 was the premier of Special Olympics Arizona kayaking! Over 25 athletes gathered at Tempe Town Lake for a fun-filled day of individual and unified kayaking competition.This sport will be added to Summer Games for the 2008 competition year.
2007 Fall Games
The 2007 Fall Games competition held in Surprise, AZ was a great success with over 1,100 athletes competing in aquatics, bocce, softball and golf. Athletes celebrated their accomplishments with an action-packed Opening Ceremonies, featuring performances by the Phoenix Mercury Hip Hop Squad, appearances by Baxter and Big Red, and a spectacular fireworks display.
SOAZ would like to extend a huge thank you to our photographers!
Sandey Tenuto, Tenuto Photography
Kelly Cox
Eric Behrmann, Lou Coopey's All Pro School Pictures
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Athletes