Appleton, WI (December 28, 2015) SOAR Fox Cities, Inc. is pleased to announce that the Bob and Pat Endries Charitable Fund within the Brillion Area Family of Funds has awarded SOAR Fox Cities with a $10,000 grant to purchase uniforms for athletes competing in SOAR’s Special Olympics (SO) program.
SOAR’s SO program provides year-round sports training and competition opportunities for children (starting at age 8) and adults with cognitive disabilities. SO helps the athlete develop physical fitness, teamwork, courage and confidence, good sportsmanship, responsibility and leadership skills. Athletes experience joy and share friendships with other athletes, families and friends.
SOAR Fox Cities is the 3rd largest Special Olympics in the state. The eight sports our agency currently offers are: Bowling, Team Basketball, Basketball Skills, Powerlifting, Aquatics, Track & Field, Softball, Tee-ball and Bocce. SOAR is dedicated to empowering individuals with developmental disabilities to become physically fit, productive and respected members of society through sports, training and competition. The sports we offer gives our athletes a safe, fun environment for them to grow in self-confidence, keep a steady social life, and practice healthy, active living.
SOAR’s SO program along with each SO Agency is financially independent and responsible for supporting all the expenses accumulated throughout the year. The majority of our athletes are at, or below poverty level. Without financial support from the community, these athletes would not be able to participate in any of the programs we offer. This would leave them isolated, inactive, and unhealthy. We are the only SO Agency in the area that offers a rental program for our athletes. This helps with the financial burden of our athletes, but also increases the need for funding.
Due to SOAR’s new name and logo, Special Olympics uniform guidelines, and a growing number of participating athletes with financial limitations, SOAR needed to reach a goal of $40,000 to provide new uniforms. This is roughly $150/athlete. Late summer, SOAR launched a fundraising campaign to raise funds for the new uniforms. SOAR was successful in raising around $25,000 since late May. The generous donation from the Bob and Pat Endries Charitable Fund within the Brillion Area Family of Funds along with a few additional supporters allowed SOAR successfully reach the campaign goal before the end of the year!
Executive Director of SOAR Fox Cities, Sonia Barham, gives her gratitude to Pat and Bob; “We are so grateful to Pat and Bob for their generous contribution! It will not only give our athletes pride and confidence but will showcase our agency’s new name that better represents our participants journey as they SOAR in the community.”
