February 2008

Durham College gets ready for Ontario's 2008 Special Olympic Games

Officials with Durham College joined Special Olympians and representatives from Special Olympics Ontario and the Durham Regional Police Service recently for an announcement by the Ontario Trillium Foundation that it was providing a $75,000 grant to support the Special Olympics Ontario 2008 Spring Games in Durham Region.

Durham College helped celebrate another milestone in the lead up to the Special Olympics Ontario 2008 Spring Games in Durham Region, by welcoming to campus Ontario Trillium Foundation officials, who announced a $75,000 grant in support of the Spring Games.

The donation will support the Healthy Athletes Expo planned for the Durham College Oshawa campus May 8 to 10, where Special Olympians will receive a variety of health screenings and services in a series of clinics conducted in a welcoming, fun environment. Volunteer health-care professionals including physicians, dentists, audiologists and podiatrists from across Canada, and students will be trained to provide the screenings in the college's state-of-the-art facilities and labs.

Athletes will have access to six different free health tests throughout the expo:

• Opening Eyes will test athletes' vision and provide eyeglasses and protective goggles as necessary;
• Special Smiles will teach the importance of oral health and provide mouth guards as necessary;
• FUNfitness will assess the athletes' general flexibility and provide simple exercise tools;
• Healthy Hearing will screen hearing acuity, create custom earplugs and make minor repairs to hearing aids;
• Fit Feet will examine the athletes' feet; and
• Health Promotion will promote and reinforce good nutrition and healthy lifestyle choices.

"We have witnessed the benefits that athletes and parents have reported through a number of Healthy Athletes events hosted during our major Games," said Glenn MacDonnell, president and CEO, Special Olympics Ontario. "However, as significant as the results were, we always believed that the Healthy Athletes program could have a much bigger impact if it could serve a broader constituency. This inaugural event has the potential to screen over 1,000 people, many of whom will be new to the Special Olympics program. When you combine the direct benefits with the ability to educate parents, clinicians, politicians and the general public about what Special Olympics is and does, the impact can be monumental."

Family members are invited to visit the screenings with their athletes and participate in the Family Network Workshop. The expo even includes a dance on the Friday night. Durham College's residences will accommodate out-of-town participants and their families.

Three weeks after the Healthy Athletes program, Special Olympians will spring into competition from May 29 to 31, with the Durham Regional Police Service leading the planning and hosting The Ontario Special Olympics 2008 Spring Games. Durham College's new athletic facilities will house the opening and closing ceremonies as well as many sporting events.