Special changes at Special Olympics Arizona

Special changes at Special Olympics Arizona

SPECIAL OLYMPICS IS MOVINGFORWARD -- DURING THEPANDEMIC.

NINE ON YOUR SIDE'SSHAWNDREA THOMAS HAS THESTORY.SHAWNDREA-THE SPECIAL OLYMPICSTYPICALLY RUNS FROM JULYTHROUGH MAY BUT THE CORONAVIRUSPANDEMIC IS CHANGING THEGAME-- ON HOW THEY PLAN TOMOVE FORWARD.

ACCORDING TO THECDC THERE ARE OVER 60 MILLIONAMERICANS LIVING WITH ADISABILITY.

SOT "RIGHT NOW IMISS BOWLING AT TUCSON BOWL,"AND JACOB GROVES..... IS ONEOF THEM HE LIVES WITH HISFATHER GREG AND HAS BEENCOMPETING IN THE SPECIALOLYMPICS FOR YEARS....HESPENDS HIS TIME PRACTICING ANDPLAYING-- BUT NOWADAYS THINGSARE DIFFERENT-- SOT "SOMETIMESITS HARD FOR HIM TO UNDERSTANDYOU CAN'T RUNUP AND HUGEVERYBODY IN THE WORLD WHICHIS WHAT HE LIKES TO DO," THECOVID19 PANDEMIC IS CHANGINGTHE GUIDELINES FOR HOW THEGAMES ARE PLAYED JAMIEHECKERMAN WITH SPECIALOLYMPICS OF ARIZONA SAYS THEORGANIZATION IS ADJUSTING.EVENTS WERE SHUT DOWN INAPRIL.

SOT "WE'VE TRANSITIONEDALL OF OUR EVENTS INTO VIRTUALEVENTS THROUGH A PLATFORMCALLED SOAZCONNECTED ITSSOMETHING WE DEVELOPED TOFOCUS ON HEALTH AND FITNESS,"VIRTUAL EVENTS LIKE EGAMES-WORKOUTS, COOKING CLASSES ANDDANCES HAVE BECOME A NEW WAYOF STAYING CONNECTED.

SOT "OURGOAL IS TO NOT SOCIALLYISOLATE THEM AND UNFORTUNATELYWITH COVID THEY ARE SOCIALLYISOLATED MORE THAN EVERBEFORE.

THEY'RE A VULNERABLEPOPULATION THEY'RE NOT GOINGTO WORK BECAUSE ITS A LITTLEMORE SCARY FOR THEM," THEY'REALSO TAKING STEPS TO KEEPEVENTS SAFE FOR ATHLETES,VOLUNTEERS AND SPECTATORS.

SOT"WE'RE SUPPLYING MASKS SO THEYCAN PRACTICE.

WE'RE PROVIDINGGLOVES, HAND SANITIZER CLOROXWIPES AND WE'RE PUTTING SOMEKITS TOGETHER THAT WE CAN GETOUT TO OUR PROGRAMS ONCE WESTART UP," GREG SAYS ITSIMPORTANT TO PAUSE ANDUNDERSTAND THE DYNAMICS OFTHOSE WITH SPECIAL NEEDS--- ASWE NAVIGATE THE CHANGES TO OURSOCIAL NORMS..

SOT "PEOPLE WHOHAVE SPECIAL NEEDS AREN'TGOING TO REALIZE EVERYTHINGTHAT'S GOING ON QUITE AS WELLAS YOU DO SO DON'T FREAKOUT IFTHEY COME CLOSE TO YOU.

JUSTGENTLY REMIND THEM THEY ARENOT SUPPOSED TO DO THAT,"RIGHT NOW THERE ARE 21THOUSAND PARTICIPANTS AND 24THOUSAND SPECIAL OLYMPICSVOLUNTEERS IN ARIZONA.

THEORGANIZATION IS HOPING TOSTART BACK UP BY THE END OFTHE SUMMER.

AND SWIMMING ISTHE FIRST LOW CONTACT ---TRAINING EVENT ON THE LIST...SOT- "AUGUST AND SEPTEMBER WEWILL LOOK AT COMPETITIONS IFWE CAN HOLD COMPETITIONS ANDLOOK AT THE NUMBER OF PEOPLEWHO CAN BE AT THAT," WE HAVEMORE INFORMATION ON KGUN 9 DOTCOM.

SHAWNDREA THOMAS KGUN 9ON YOUR SIDE.IF YOU HAVE A REBOUND ARIZONASTORY TO SHARE -- THROUGH MAYBUT THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC ISCHANGING THE GAME-- ON HOW THEYPLAN TO MOVE FORWARD.

ACCORDINGTO THE CDC THERE ARE OVER 60MILLION AMERICANS LIVING WITH ADISABILITY.

SOT "RIGHT NOW IMISS BOWLING AT TUCSON BOWL,"AND JACOB GROVES..... IS ONE OFTHEM HE LIVES WITH HIS FATHERGREG AND HAS BEEN COMPETING INTHE SPECIAL OLYMPICS FORYEARS....HE SPENDS HIS TIMEPRACTICING AND PLAYING-- BUTNOWADAYS THINGS ARE DIFFERENT-