© 2024 WMKY
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Special Olympics Kentucky Celebrates 45 Years With Rally at State Capitol

Special Olympics

Special Olympics Kentucky athletes and supporters gathered in the Rotunda of the State Capitol on Feb. 9 to celebrate 45 years of the program’s history in Kentucky and to rally support for House Bill 178.

The bill, filed by Rep. Martha Jane King (D-Lewisburg) would add the sports program for children and adults with intellectual disabilities in the state as a check-off box on the Kentucky State Tax Return Form, allowing people to make a donation from their state tax refund.

Speakers at the event included Rep. King, Special Olympics Kentucky President and CEO Trish Mazzoni, Special Olympics athletes Morgan Turner of Lexington and Luke Rutterer of Fort Mitchell, as well as 2014 USA Olympic bobsledder Dallas Robinson.

King began the event saying “as Special Olympics Kentucky celebrates 45 years of changing the lives of people with intellectual disabilities in Kentucky, I am honored to have filed House Bill 178, which would add a Special Olympics tax form donation check-off box to the Kentucky State tax return forms. House Bill 178 gives every Kentuckian an easy, convenient opportunity to help support this incredible program and ensure Special Olympics can serve even more Kentuckians in their next 45 years.”

Mazzoni stressed the growth of the program from a one-day track and field event into a program that serves a wide range of its athletes’ needs.

“We are very much still a sports program and that will always be at our core,” Mazzoni said. “But in our 45 years in Kentucky we have grown from a one-day event into a program that touches nearly every aspect of our athletes’ lives. In addition to going from one to 15 sports, we provide health screening services, early childhood services and through our Project Unify program we help to build stronger school communities by providing opportunities to build understanding between our athletes and their peers who don’t have disabilities. Special Olympics has become an important, nearly daily part of the lives of our athletes and their families,” Mazzoni continued. “The tax form check off box that House Bill 178 would provide for our program would help provide vital resources that would help us reach even more athletes in Kentucky.”

Mazzoni added that in addition to the 45th Anniversary, 2015 is an exciting year for the program for other reasons. She announced that the program recently topped 7,000 athletes participating in the program. Mazzoni also introduced the four Kentucky athletes who will compete as part of Team USA at the 2015 Special Olympics World Summer Games – Danielle Blakeney of Erlanger, Amanda Browning of Taylorsville, Lee Dockins of Russellville and Chris Willis of Owensboro, noting that these are the first World Summer Games held in the United States since 1999.

Sochi Olympian Dallas Robinson talked about the important role that sports can play in people’s lives and discussed his own support of Special Olympics, which included auctioning one of his speed suits worn during the Olympics to benefit the program.

The rally ended with athlete speakers Turner and Rutterer -- who serves as the athlete representative to the Special Olympics Kentucky Board -- relaying their experience in Special Olympics and encouraging support for the Bill.

“Special Olympics has given me the opportunity to travel around Kentucky, make new friends and compete in sports I love, like basketball, softball, flag football and bowling,” Turner said. “Special Olympics has been an important part of my life and I am so glad I have had the opportunity to participate.”

Rutterer encouraged support of House Bill 178 saying, “Special Olympics has impacted my life both on and off the playing field.  As a board member, I am a voice for my fellow athletes.”

Special Olympics is the world’s largest program of sports training and competition for children and adults with intellectual disabilities. Participation in competitive events is open to all individuals eight years of age or older. Training and competition in local, area, state, and national programs is offered year-round in Kentucky in 15 sports.

In addition to its traditional sports competitions, Special Olympics also offers early childhood programming through the Young Athletes Program and medical screenings though the Healthy Athletes Initiative. Special Olympics Kentucky has been changing the lives of people with intellectual disabilities in Kentucky for 45 years.

(story provided by Special Olympics Kentucky)

Paul Hitchcock earned his Masters in Communications from Morehead State University and Bachelors in Radio-TV/Psychology from Georgetown College. A veteran broadcaster for more than 40 years and an avid fan of blues, jazz and American roots music. Hitchcock has been with WMKY since 1986 and was named General Manager in 2003. He currently hosts "Muddy Bottom Blues" (Fri., 8pm-9pm), "Nothin' But The Blues" (Sat., 8pm-12am), "Sunday Night Jazz Showcase" and "Live From The Jazz Lounge" (Sun., 8pm-9pm) and "The Golden Age of Radio" (Sun., 2pm-3pm). He also serves as producer for "A Time For Tales" and "The Reader's Notebook."