Special Olympics Texas Host Annual Bowling Competition in San Angelo

Stadium Lanes in San Angelo was much busier than usual this Sunday as Special Olympics Texas-Area 14 hosted its annual bowling competition. This is the first competition that has been held in San Angelo, and group homes from Abilene, Eastland, and Ballinger came to participate.

While any person who just strolled into the bowling alley may have only noticed a room full of charismatic bowlers enjoying a Sunday afternoon, the reality is much different.

“They [athletes] have to train for at least eight weeks in the sport they’re participating in,” said Luann Chastain Area 14, director of Special Olympics in Abilene and San Angelo. “Everybody’s a winner, but we treat them like real athletes. It just gives the individual [athlete] that chance to compete in a regular sport setting that they don’t get in a typical day.”

Over the course of the weekend, about 370 athletes competed for their medals and 20 volunteers came to help and cheer them on. The awards, just like in any other competition, start with gold, silver, and bronze, then ribbons.

“We don’t want the [athletes] to feel like they come in and it’s a ‘give me.’ They have to earn it,” noted Chastain.

Additionally, Carla, who is a coach and employee of Day Break in San Angelo, stated, “They [athletes] strive for this. They love their medals!”

Originally, Special Olympics Texas was started in 1969 by Eunice Kennedy Schrier and has since grown into a worldwide organization. There are 22 year-round sports that are offered in Texas through this program. As a non-profit organization, Special Olympics Texas solely relies on volunteers to keep events running smoothly, and is completely funded by grants and donations.

This program completely “depends on the generosity of others,” Chastain said. “Eighty-five cents of every dollar that we raise goes back into the program for the athletes."

Chastain noted that she would really like to see the school systems get more involved, and also said, “Law enforcement has really stepped up. They’re going to start doing stuff to help us raise funds.”

Carla added, “I just think that Special Olympics here in San Angelo is really booming and any support that [the communities] could give would be great.”

The people at Special Olympics Texas are working to start hosting more fundraising events in San Angelo and to grow the support in this area even further.

For more information on how to get involved, visit www.SpecialOlympicsTexas.org.