Special Olympics Hawai‘i announces that athletes from O‘ahu, Kaua‘i, Maui and the Hawai‘i Island are training for the chance of a lifetime. The 22 representatives (including 20 athletes and two Unified Champion School students) are preparing to represent Hawai‘i at the 2018 Special Olympics USA Games taking place July 1 through 6, 2018, in Seattle, Washington. The athletes will join more than 4,000 Special Olympics athletes and coaches from across the country to compete in soccer, track and field and basketball.
The cost to send one individual to the USA Games is more than $1,900. Special Olympics Hawai‘i is accepting tax-deductible donations to defray expenses at www.sohawaii.org and has also launched a campaign asking supporters to donate their HawaiianMiles to Special Olympics Hawai‘i to help reduce the cost oftransportation.
“Special Olympics Hawai‘i is excited to send one of our largest contingencies of island athletes to represent our state at the USA Games. These athletes and coaches work so hard throughout the year and it’s thrilling to see their commitment pay off,” said Nancy Bottelo, Special Olympics Hawai‘i president and CEO. “The cost to cover transportation and accommodation will be significant. We are asking the community to help our athletes realize their dreams to compete on a national level by making a tax-deductible donation.”
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Athletes were selected from amongst 3,400 participants statewide. Those representing Special Olympics Hawai‘i include:
Honoka‘a Hawks
Hawai‘i Island Honoka‘a Basketball Team
Whitney Alameida
Bernaldo Cabulizan
Sean Conley
John Joseph DeHerrera
Isaiah De Luz
Greg Villafuerte Jr.
Coaches: Duane De Luz and Sheila De Luz
Also representing Hawai‘i at the 2018 Special Olympics USA Games is Officer Tyler Prokopec with the Hawai‘i Police Department. He will join an elite group of individuals whowill serve as the “Guardians of the Flame” and escort the Special Olympics Flame of Hopeon a journey across Washington state. Since the first Special Olympics USA Games in 2006, members of law enforcement and Special Olympics athletes from across the United States have carried the Flame of Hope in the LETR Final Leg to usher the start of the national competition.
The 2018 Special Olympics USA Games shares the mission of Special Olympics by highlighting the abilities of athletes with intellectual disabilities, while promoting acceptance and inclusion through sports. Athletes will compete in 14 Olympic-type team and individual sports before tens of thousands of spectators and volunteers.
For more information on the Special Olympics 2018 USA Games and how to donate to Special Olympics Hawai‘i, contact (808) 695-3524 or visit www. sohawaii.org.
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