One of the more popular Special Olympic events in the East Valley is the annual golf tournament which is held at Rolling Hills Golf Course in Tempe. The event offers skills for those athletes who are just learning, but also offers individual stroke play and Unified alternate stroke team play. Over the past couple of years this program has grown not only in Mesa, but also among the other delegations throughout the East Valley.

2011 East Valley Special Olympic Bowling Tournament

This year’s East Valley Bowling Tournament which was held at the Brunswick Zone, 1754 W. Southern Ave. in Mesa, was the largest tournament so far. There were new delegations from Cave Creek, Metro Tech. and Canyon Creek from Apache Junction. Club Diversity from Red Mountain High School volunteered at the event and did an awesome job. We ended up with 622 bowlers for the four sessions. Our “Buster the Bulldog” bowled a frame against the Chandler “Cougar” and the Scottsdale “Bobcat”. I am proud to say the Buster beat both the Cougar and the Bobcat. GO BULLDOGS!!!

2011 Mesa Regional Special Olympics Soccer Tournament

Mesa’s Regional Soccer Tournament was held at Hohokam baseball stadium on Saturday, December 10th. It was originally scheduled for December 3rd, but due to bad weather it was rescheduled. Eleven teams participated in the tournament, with 3 teams coming from Nogales, AZ, one from Rise and Shine (a new program), one from Maricopa USD, 4 teams coming from Gilbert and 2 adult teams from Mesa. We would like to thank the volunteers from Red Mountains Club Diversity, KAST and Chandler/Gilbert Soccer Team for making the event run smoothly.

2011 SOEV Aquatics Competition at Kino Pool

68 athletes from Mesa Competed in The annual Special Olympics East Valley (SOAZEV) Aquatics Meet was held at Kino Junior High School on September 17th, 2011 348 athletes and Unified partners competed for medals and ribbons. The meet ran smoothly due to efforts of the Mesa Adaptive staff which were responsible for staging, starting, and awards. The Mesa High, Mountain View and Westwood High School swim teams that were responsible for timing and escorting the athletes from staging to their lane assignment then to awards.

Mesa Special Olympic athletes will compete at the Special Olympics Arizona State Fall Games October 14th & 15th, 2011 in Surprise Arizona.

2011 SOEV Bocce Tournament

21 athletes from the Mesa delegation participated in the East Valley Special Olympics Bocce Tournament on Saturday September 24th at Tower Point Resort in East Mesa. Tower Point Resort provided us with 5 Bocce Ball courts, volunteers and an outstanding Hotdogs and Hamburger lunch. 82 athletes from Mesa, Gilbert, Maricopa, Globe/Miami, Queen Creek, Florence and Tempe competed in the Area this year’s tournament doubled in numbers from the previous year 2010.

Thank you to the Table Sponsors at the 18th Annual Fall Fundraiser

PLATINUM - $3,000
JFK Electrical Contracting Enterprises, Inc.

GOLD - $2,000
Cummins Rocky Mountain
Simpson Strong-Tie

SILVER - $1,000
John and Sue Alig
Arizona Lighting Sales, Inc.
Boeing Company
Cawood and Gibson, PLLC
D.L. Withers Construction
John and Linda Hughes
Kohler Company
Lerner & Rowe Attorneys
Morrison & Associates CPAs
Progressive Roofing
Gloria Rusk and Beth Rusk
R.C. Lurie Co, Inc.
Schuff Steel Management Co. SW
Suntec Concrete
SW Services
The Mahoney Group
Jim Winterton / Johnson Bank

Thank you to the AzDS Year-Round Sponsors for their generous support

CHAMPION LEVEL - $10,000 and above
Blue Cross Blue Shield
Southwest Airlines
USOC—Olympic Opportunity Fund

CHALLENGER LEVEL - $5,000—$9,999
Boeing Employee Community Fund
The Jochum-Moll Foundation
Gregory J. Marsh
McCarthy Heart Hats
Mesa Hohokam Foundation
SPAC Enterprises / Peter Mizioch

COMPETITOR LEVEL - $2,500—$4,999
Arizona Sport & Tourism Authority
Cardinals Charities
Delta Diversified
Ford Motor Company

CHARGER LEVEL - $1,000—$2,499
Desert Club Foundation
E & K of Phoenix, Inc.
Shaw Industries
United Truck & Equipment

Camp Fiesta!

Camp Fiesta started up on June 6th with 130 registered participants. The second session of the camp began on July 11th and ended with the annual Talent Show put on by each classroom. The 2011 camp has had the largest enrollment of any past camp.

75th Anniversary of City of Mesa Parks and Recreation

The Mesa Parks and Recreation 75th Anniversary celebration event was held on Thursday, June 16th from 6pm-9pm at Pioneer Park in Mesa. This event was a huge success with over 3,500 guests in attendance. The event highlights included "Disney Radio Road Show", free carnival games and rides, face painting, balloon animals, community booths, food vendors and a free movie - "Happiness is a Warm Blanket Charlie Brown"- in the park. Arizona Disabled Sports hosted a vendor booth and provided hundreds of free hand-cycle rides to the kids and adults. Congratulations to the City of Mesa Parks and Recreation on a great 75 years!

21st Annual SOEV Track and Field Meet

The 21st Annual Special Olympics East Valley Track and Field Meet was held at Mesa High School on Saturday, April 2nd. The purpose of the event is to provide meaningful sports competition opportunities for individuals with intellectual disabilities. The athletes have the opportunity to gain social skills, sports skills, and physical fitness through their participation in the event. The updated format of running the junior and senior athletes at 10:00am and the adults at 4:00pm worked out very well. The 2011 track and field event was the largest ever with 489 athletes in attendance. Thank you to Boeing, the Mesa High Football team and Mesa Community College Fire Academy for providing the volunteers to support the event.

16th Annual "You Look Marvelous" Fashion Show

The 16th Annual "You Look Marvelous" Fashion Show was held on Saturday, May 21st at the Chandler Center for the Arts. Fifty-two special models from the cities of Mesa and Chandler strutted their stuff down the runway wearing spring fashions from Kohls department stores. Thsi year over 300 guests were in attendance for the fashion show and over 40 volunteers from Kohl's and Earl's Beauty School supported the event. The proceeds from the silent auction and raffle will benefit both the adaptive programs in Mesa and Chandler. The event will raise funding to support the scholarship fees available for Camp Carley and Disneyland Adventure Trips which are provided for both Chandler and Mesa athletes. Congratulations to all of the beautiful models for another great fashion show!

Coach, Volunteer and Facility of the Year award winners

Each year at the End of Season Awards Celebration in June, AzDS presents the Coach of the Year, Volunteer of the Year, Volunteer Group of the Year, Internal Facility of the Year and Community Facility of the Year awards to the most deserving individuals or organizations. The decision is very difficult each year as we have so many wonderful people and businesses that give their time, energy and resources to this organization. Congratulations to the 2010-11 award winners! Thank you for your continued support and dedication to providing outstanding programs and opportunities to individuals with disabilities.

The 2010-11 award winners include:
Coach of the Year - Jamie Oliver
Volunteer of the Year - Steve Schureman
Volunteer Group of the Year - Boeing Company
Internal Facility of the Year - Jefferson Recreation Center
Community Facility of the Year - Farnsworth Dreamland Villa

End of Season Awards Celebration

Over 200 guests joined Arizona Disabled Sports and the City of Mesa Parks, Recreation and Commercial Facilities for the 2010-11 End of Season Awards Celebration on Friday, June 10th at the Red Mountain Multigenerational Center. The celebration includes give-aways for each athlete, awards presentations for coach, volunteer and facility of the year, dinner, yearbooks, and dancing. This years event included the introduction of the new Team Mesa mascot - Buster the Bulldog. Buster will cheer on Team Mesa at all future special events. Go Team Mesa!

Thank you to Carrabba's of Ahwatukee for donating the delicious meal for the event. Congratulations to all of the athletes for another successful and fun season! Go Team Mesa! We look forward to another fantastic season full of great memories, smiles and laughter.

"This Magic Moment" Prom

The cities of Chandler and Mesa joined together to host a Prom Night for individuals ages 16 and older with developmental disabilities. Approximately 95 participants attended the prom and enjoyed a beautiful evening filled with a delicious dinner, dancing, fun memories and a photo for each participant.

A parent send an email to let us know how wonderful the events was, "Thank you so much for a wonderful evening for the kids. It was so very nice. Everyone looked so pretty and the location and accommodations were lovely."

Another parent commented at the Prom, "It is so nice to attend an event where the kids get to eat on real plates and use real silverware!"

Congratulations to Jacquie Gallo and Collette Prather for another wonderful event.

Wiggles and Giggles

This was the first summer that the Mesa Adaptive program offered a summer program for pre-schoolers, ages 3-5 with developmental delays or disabilities. The program was tons of fun and very successful with 16 pre-schoolers who enjoyed socializing with their peers, arts and crafts, games, snacks and music therapy. The kids met four times per week, Monday-Thursday from 9:00am-11:00am. Thank you to Stapley Junior High School for hosting our summer program.

MASD Baseball Program

The MASD baseball program had it's Opening Day on February 12th at Quail Run Baseball park in Mesa. This year marks the 22nd year of organized baseball for physically and intellectually disabled athletes from Mesa, Chandler, and Tempe. This season there are over 100 players on eight teams in the Minor and Major leagues.

Players in the Minors can begin playing baseball at age 5, and we have only four rules: 1. everyone plays, 2. everyone bats each inning, 3. there are no outs, 4. we play 2 innings ... and the game is over.

The Majors are older athletes that play by the regular baseball rules and use a pitching machine. Over the years it is amazing how all of our athletes have improved their baseball skills.

Athletes get pictures, a full uniform, and trophies at the end of the year award party. We want to encourage all athletes to participate next year. There are no age limits and we have a lot of fun playing baseball from the middle of January thru the middle of May. For more information contact Chris Hite at azhitefamily@aol.com or call 602-757-1685.

Charity Yard Sale Raises Over $1,500 for Team Mesa

The MASD Booster Club hosted the 2nd annual Charity Yard Sale from November 18-20, 2010 at the Hill's residence. The Booster Club, made up of parents and family members of athletes involved in the Mesa Special Olympics programs, raised over $1,500 at the yard sale this year which will support the purchase of equipment and uniforms for the programs as well as provide support to continue all Special Olympic programs for 12-week sessions. A special thank you to the families that volunteered at the Charity Yard sale - Penny and Bekah Morse, Lalanda Bailey, Carol and Shelly Burns, Bonni and Chris Ferry, Chris Hite, the Hill family and many more. Thank you to the individuals and families that donated the items that were sold at the yard sale.

The Booster Club is currently selling Spirit Cups to raise funding for the Mesa Special Olympics programs. A set of 4 cups is just $15.00. Show your spirit for the Special Olympics and purchase a set today! Contact Lane Jeppesen at 480.835.6273/lane@mesadisabledsports.com to see what team cups we have for sale.

Former Mesa Athlete, Edward Mathurin is a Referee

One of our former Mesa athletes, Edward Mathurin, has been training as a referee. Edward currently is an AIA basketball referee for the junior high school games in Mesa as well as volunteering as a referee for Arizona Disabled Sports and Special Olympics. Edward has become a trained US Power Soccer Association referee for our local competitions in power soccer and volunteers for the Special Olympics Floor Hockey and Soccer competitions. Congratulations to Edward Mathurin on his accomplishments as a referee.

Special Olympics Soccer Season

The 2010 Special Olympic Soccer Season was a great success. We had 30 athletes participate many who were returning and several new faces as well. We were very excited to see our new young athletes joining the soccer team. Each week athletes practiced hard and gave their all while learning new skills. Mesa’s teams played their hearts out at the regional competition. It was exciting to see our junior unified team compete for the first time this year. Mesa’s Individual Skills athletes did an amazing job as well, bringing home three gold’s and a silver. We are so proud of all our athletes. Their dedication, hard work and good sportsmanship is evident at practices as well as competitions. A big thank you to all the coaches, volunteers and parents for helping to make this season a successful and memorable one for all those who participated. MESA ROCKS!

Mistletoe Magic Holiday Dance and Dinner

All that glitters seemed to be the theme at this year’s Mistletoe magic dance which was held on Saturday, December 11 at the Chandler Community Center. 250 Attendees were dressed in their holiday best, with everyone looking beautiful. Participants enjoyed a delicious roast beef and potato dinner, yummy desserts, dancing with their friends and even a picture with the big jolly man himself. A great time was had by all.

Special Olympics Golf

This was an outstanding year for Special Olympics golf. We had 62 athletes/partners participate in our program, some of which were new and some the familiar faces that play every year. Due to the closure of the Mesa Family Golf Center, golf practice was moved to Mesa Riverview Golf Course. This course was beautiful and the staff welcomed us with open arms. Athletes and Partners competed in two competitions. The area was held at Rolling Hills Golf Course in Tempe and the other was the State Golf competition at Vistal.

This year the State Special Olympics Golf tournament was held as a standalone competition. This event was held at Vistal Golf Course and was a first class competition. As I approached the tent for Opening Ceremonies, tears filled my eyes as I saw the how beautifully decorated it was. Chills were sent up my arms as I listened to the bagpipes play at Opening Ceremonies, while watching ten Special Olympic golfer’s simultaneously hit the first golf ball to open the games. Throughout the weekend I watched in amazement, in awe, of how our athletes were awesome competitors and how much fun they appeared to be having.

I would like to congratulate all the golfers on a fantastic season. Your spirit and love of the game is immeasurable and it is always a joy to watch you compete. A heartfelt thank you to all the partners for attending practice each week ready to play golf, cheering your athlete on. You make it possible for our athletes to have a great golf experience while learning the game. I also want to thank golf coaches Greg Leicht, Ron Duranti, Chad Harper and Andrew Kupitz for all their hard work and dedication to our athletes. You are AMAZING!

SOEV Bowling Tournament

Just when you thought that bowling couldn’t get any bigger, it did!!! This year there were 100 more bowlers than last year. The tournament was held again at the Brunswick Zone at 1754 W. Southern Ave. on Friday, November 19th and Saturday, November 20th. Special awards were given out this year to athletes who had the highest average in each age group. They were presented bowling pins from the Special Olympic National Bowling Tournament that were signed by retired professional athletes. Congratulations to all of the amazing athletes that participated in the 2010 tournament.

Mesa Regional Soccer Tournament

On Saturday, November 6th Mesa hosted the Special Olympics Regional Soccer Tournament at the Hohokam Baseball Stadium. It was decided to have our own tournament this year because Maricopa was going to have their soccer tournament on December 11th which was the same date as our floor hockey tournament. We had 10 teams participate in the tournament which included both traditional and unified teams. Independence High School had 4 teams, Marcos de Niza brought a unified team, the Gilbert Roadrunner brought 1 junior and 1 junior high unified team and Mesa had 2 adult teams and 1 unified junior team. Our Mesa team did a great job and had two 2nd place finishes and a third place finish.

Mesa Invitational Floor Hockey Tournament

On Saturday, December 11, 2010 the 5th Annual Mesa Invitational Floor Hockey Tournament was held at Skyline High School in East Mesa. Eight teams participated in the tournament including 3 from Tucson Sunnyside High School, 2 from Chandler, 1 from Kingman, Arizona and 2 from Mesa. This year Mesa’s team has grown to the point that they were able to make two teams, the Coyotes and the Roadrunners. Both teams were in Division B with the Roadrunners taking 1st place by beating the Sunnyside Rattlers, Chandler Gold and the Mesa Coyotes. The Mesa Coyotes finished in third place. This is the first time that a Mesa team has placed first in this tournament. Congratulations to the Mesa Roadrunners!