What do you think of our new logo?! Pretty cool, huh? We think so! This new logo will be used across the entire Special Olympics community. We want to hear from you… tell us what you think of it! If you notice, we are no longer using the color teal in the logo, however, red is still pictured…
Did you know that Louisiana camp up with the original logo type back in 1983 for World Games held in Baton Rouge?
“Loretta Claiborne is one of the most inspirational athletes I have personally encountered. Watching this video moves me because she is a great role model, reminding me that we are no different from one another. Meeting and listening to her in Baton Rouge (State Indoor Games 2012) inspired me because she has been through so much. It is both amazing and inspirational to hear how Special Olympics makes a huge impact on a persons life. Special Olympics has made a huge impact on Loretta’s life and watching this video shows how it has.”
– Special Olympics Louisiana athlete Ashley Arceneaux
Click the picture for the video on Loretta Claiborne.
On Friday, August 23rd, our staff, Area Directors, and key Volunteers gathered at the Landmark Hotel in Metairie, LA for Leadership Training conducted by the Louisiana Army National Guard. 
The training session focused on how to be a great and effective leader within the Special Olympics Louisiana community. Along with the presentation, each attendee completed a personality test and received books on leadership.
Thanks to the Louisiana National Guard for a great training!
As Tropical Storm/Hurricane Isaac approaches the Gulf Coast, we encourage all of you to be prepared and stay safe. Listen to your local leaders and law enforcement. Our State office will be closed today at noon and Tuesday, August 28th.
Keep us posted on your status through our Facebook or Twitter pages, we will try to keep these updated as long as we can through the storm. We want to know that you are doing well! Let us know how or if Isaac is affecting you and your family.
All events are scheduled to go on as planned including our fundraiser, Over the Edge, which will take place in New Orleans next Friday, September 7th.
Check out these sites to stay updated on Isaac:
WWL-TV New Orleans, LA
Fox 8 New Orleans, LA
KATC Lafayette, LA
KALB Alexandria, LA
KSLA Shreveport, LA
Feel the pride of a champion! Don’t forget to vote for Special Olympics every day through August 26. You can make the difference and it only takes 2 seconds! Click the picture to vote!
Just a few days left to vote for Special Olympics to become one of five charitable partners in the 2012 Subaru “Share the Love” event. Voting ends August 26 and we need your help to be in the top two so we can participate in the Subaru “Share the Love” event later this year. Don’t forget you can vote every day! Last year, Special Olympics received $613,536 as part of this program. Vote now to help support our athletes! You DO NOT have to have a Facebook account to vote.
“Seeing this video is inspirational because it highlights how talented people with disabilities are and the message behind the song resembles equality and acceptance. It proves that anybody has potential and it sets a great reminder to others that everyone is not different from each other, regardless if they have a disability or not. Dance flashmobs are very popular and get the media’s attention. Usually, dance flashmobs targets a musician or the band that they are supporting. I personally thought this flash mob was awesome, simply because although the dancers and singers were simply having fun, they were targeting the true meaning of Lady Gaga’s ‘Born This Way’, which simply means self-acceptance. Being able to see the dancers and singers enjoy themselves shows not only how talented they are, but also shows that they also share the same values as any other person. That is what makes this video unique and inspirational.”
– Special Olympics Louisiana athlete Ashley Arceneaux
Special Olympics New Mexico recently posted a blog titled Listen about comments overheard at a recent event:
In conclusion they stated that we should listen more to what people are saying around us…Read the full article
The Southern Oilman’s Tennis Tournament and the Kim & Don Richards Family Foundation joined together to promote the sport of tennis to Special Olympics Louisiana athletes. In 2011, twelve athletes competed in tennis competitions at the parish, area and state level. In 2012, that number doubled to 25 athletes!
Recently, Special Olympics Louisiana sent two coaches and two athletes to attend the Kim & Don Richards Match Point Tournament. Also, this year alone 368 people with and without intellectual disabilities were exposed to tennis through clinics held at various summer sports camps hosted around the state. These clinics were held because of the generous financial support of the Southern Oilman’s Tennis Tournament and the Kim & Don Richards Family Foundation. Read more
It is kind of hard to think about winter right now, with the humidity and temperatures in Louisiana, but in a few short months the 2013 World Winter Games will take place in PyeongChang, South Korea, January 29th – February 5th. 
“The 2013 Special Olympics World Winter Games will feature world-class competition in alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, figure skating, snowboarding and speedskating, among other sports,” according to Special Olympics website.
This event, which will feature athletes from all around the world with be the 10th Special Olympics World Winter Games and will be one of the largest winter multi-sport events ever held in South Korea! One of our own law enforcement offices, Ninoska Guggenheim, will be running the torch in the Final Leg of the Torch Run!
To learn more and to stay updated check out the World Winter Games website.
Special Olympics Louisiana is offering its supporters a chance to honor those individuals who have made a significant impact in our program. The size of the “Wall of Honor” at our state headquarters is going to be enlarged. This is an opportunity to have your name or the name of a loved one permanently displayed. We have three different medal types available: Gold, Silver and Bronze. If interested, check out the order form below.
specialolympicslouisiana 