Helping Her Go for the Gold: American Legion Supports Local Special Olympics Coach

On Friday, June 26, American Legion Post 260 and Past Commander Douglas Randolph made generous donations to Special Olympics, Charlotte County Local Coordinator and Coach, Joanne Catron. Catron will be traveling with Team Virginia to Los Angeles, California on July 25 to coach at the Special Olympics World Games 2015.

Catron was presented with a check for $300.00 by Post 260 Commander Denis Fritz and Past Commander Douglas Randolph. In addition, Randolph generously gave Catron a personal donation of $100.00. “I am so appreciative of the community support,” said Catron. “This experience will give me a more global vision of how other states and countries work with their athletes and it will help me enhance what Charlotte County does.”

According the their website, the Special Olympics “will hold the world’s largest sports and humanitarian event in the world capital for media and entertainment in 2015, uniting the world through sports in a celebration of the abilities and accomplishments of people with intellectual disabilities and forming a new global vision of acceptance.” Over 7,000 athletes, 177 countries, 30,000 volunteers, 3,000 coaches, and 500,000 spectators are predicted to be in attendance at the Special Olympics World Games in Los Angeles. Competitions will consist of a variety of sports including basketball, bowling, beach volleyball, aquatics, football, kayaking, judo, and more. The event will run from July 25 through August 2, 2015.