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The 2010 Special Olympics USA National Games will be coached by the recreation team of Brandy Wilson and Teresa Jenkins of Orange Grove Center. The games, to be held at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, are scheduled for Sunday, July 18 through Saturday, July 24.
Wilson, Recreation Coordinator at Orange Grove Center, will coach track and field. Jenkins, Assistant Coordinator, is head bowling coach for the state of Tennessee.
Orange Grove is participating on behalf of Team Tennessee, with seven athletes and a total of four coaches from Area 4 Special Olympics. Area 4 includes Bledsoe, Bradley, Grundy, Hamilton, Marion, McMinn, Meigs, Polk, Rhea and Sequatchie Counties. Billy Linder and Diana Linder, each of whom is served by Orange Grove, will compete in track and bowling respectively.
Overall, an estimated 3,000 athletes from across the nation, 85 of them from Tennessee, will be represented in the thirteen sporting competitions, including basketball, bocce, track and field, softball and flag football. In addition, more than 1,000 coaches and delegates, 8,000 volunteers, and 15,000 family and friends will be in attendance.
Expected guests include Special Olympics Chairman, Tim Shriver; Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger; singer/actress Vanessa L. Williams; American figure skater and Olympic gold medalist Scott Hamilton; former Olympic gymnast Nadia Comaneci; 1984 Olympic Champion Bart Connor; along with other celebrities and dignitaries.
In conjunction with the National Games, Dr. Rick Rader, Director of the Morton J. Kent Habilitation Center at Orange Grove, was appointed to the steering committee, and to make a presentation on comparative effectiveness research in the area of special needs health care. Dr. Rader is also global medical advisor to the Special Olympics Healthy Athletes program. Dr. Kristin Compton, director of the dental clinic at Orange Grove, was named clinical director for the Healthy Smiles program of the Healthy Athletes program. Under her care, prospective athletes will be screened for oral health care needs by a cadre of specialists.
Prior to the National Games, Special Olympics and the University of Nebraska at-Lincoln Medical School are hosting a national clinical symposium on special health care needs. Additional programming will include educational seminars for athletes and their families, and activities aimed to increase public knowledge and understanding of the capabilities of people with intellectual disabilities. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius is also expected to participate in the clinical symposium.
Donations to assist Area 4 athletes in traveling to various Olympic competitions throughout the year are always accepted. Checks should be made to “Area 4 Special Olympics,” and should be sent to: 250 Layne Road, Soddy Daisy, TN 37379.
To learn more about the 2010 Special Olympics USA National Games, visit www.2010specialolympics.org.
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