Special Olympics Welland Pelham Ontario

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Félicitations! Congratulations! To Mike Jacques and the continued success of his book now appearing in the Fall 2020 issue of Autism Matters magazine. #respect

December 23, 2020 Communication Advisory Re: Province of Ontario province wide shutdown... Premier Doug Ford has announced that the province of Ontario will enter a province wide shutdown effective December 26, 2020. The shutdown will be in effect for 28 days for the public health units in Southern Ontario and will be in effect for 14 days for public health units in Northern Ontario. Please refer to the following document, Appendix A (page 26) for further reference on the public health unit listing. https://files.ontario.ca/moh-provincewide-shutdown-en-2020- As a result of the provincially mandated shutdown, Special Olympics Ontario will be implementing the following measures: We strongly encourage everyone to engage in the Special Olympics Ontario Healthy at Home program that provides options for keeping your body and mind active during the shutdown: https://sohealthyathome.ca Please continue to visit the Special Olympics Ontario Return to Program website: https://www1.specialolympicsontario.com/return-to-program/ The Special Olympics Ontario provincial office will be closed from December 23 - January 4, 2021. We will continue to monitor all COVID-19 developments to ensure we are ready to respond when we re-open for business in the new year. As we enter 2021, we're optimistic that new beginnings are around the corner and that these trials are simply a bump in the road. We look forward to taking those first steps towards re-building our community programs and rejuvenating the Special Olympics spirit around the province. Should you have any questions or would like to speak with a staff person about the pandemic please email [email protected] or call 1-888-333-5515 ext. 311 and leave a message and we will follow up. Thank you for your understanding, Glenn MacDonell President & CEO

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of one of our long standing Welland Pelham coaches and volunteers, Laurie Blanchard. Laurie was a dedicated coach who nurtured many sports in our community, such as 5-Pin Bowling, 10-Pin Bowling, Rhythmic Gymnastics and Martial Gym. Laurie was also intimately involved in fundraising for our community, and organizing dances and social events for our athletes. Our sincere condolences go out to her many family members. Speaking on behalf of all of the athletes you have supported and guided over the years, and the Special Olympics coaches you have worked alongside, we will miss you deeply. Rest in Peace, Laurie

Virtual Basketball practice tonight :)

Communication Advisory Province of Ontario update regarding increase in COVID-19 numbers Attention: Special Olympics Ontario Communities, Clubs, Volunteers, Athletes, Partners, Associates and Families... Effective November 16, 2020, multiple health districts within the province have been moved to the Red Level as directed by Premier Doug Ford. https://www.ontario.ca//covid-19-response-framework-keepin COVID-19 numbers continue to rise within the province. That combined with the vulnerability of Special Olympics athletes and their families, we have made the very difficult decision to take action to ensure our membership and their families remain safe and healthy. Effective immediately, the following parameters are in place: Extra Precautions: Sport training sessions must not engage in any games or scrimmage type drills and we recommend participants increase their physical distancing to 4M (12ft) while engaging in rigorous training drills (speed drills, high exertion exercise drills, etc.). Additionally, Special Olympics sport training sessions are not considered an essential service and therefore, athletes and coaches/volunteers should not be crossing regional borders to attend a Special Olympics training session. We strongly encourage all communities to consider outdoor activities to engage our athletes and coaches. Outdoor walking and hiking clubs are a great way to stay active and fit. Please continue to visit the Special Olympics Ontario Return to Program website: https://www1.specialolympicsontario.com/return-to-program/ We will continue to monitor the COVID-19 guidelines as established by the Province of Ontario. If we all work together and remain vigilant in our actions, we will get through this second wave of the pandemic. We look forward to the day when all our sport training sessions can return to action and the worry of the pandemic is behind us. Until then, keep yourself and your loved ones safe. Please stay informed by going to our website www.specialolympicsontario.com for the latest updates. Should you have any questions or would like to speak with a staff person about the pandemic please email [email protected] or call 1-888-333-5515 ext. 311 and leave a message and we will follow up. Thank you for your understanding, Glenn MacDonell President & CEO

Our first virtual Basketbal practice tonight! Great turnout and such a fun workout -- thank you coaches and athletes!

WOW! We received an extremely generous donation today from Pecan Deluxe Candy Co. (from Texas!) on behalf of Alexandra Hubert and her family. This is particularly appreciated given our trying COVID times and restricted ability to fundraise. The coaches, volunteers and athletes of 5-Pin and 10-pin Bowling send their deepest thanks!

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