WHAT WE NEED FROM YOU

     Critical Need:
     Athletes, Coaches and Volunteers are needed.
     Please consider joining the Area 26 Outreach Committees. Teams of one Athlete and one
     Coach / Volunteers will represent our program at various community events. The teams will
     give out information, answer questions about our program and recruit new athletes and
     volunteers. If we get four teams, each team will probably only have one commitment per
     quarter. If you are interested please contact Pat Hammeke.

     If you are interested in volunteering for another sport please contact the the coach
     for that particular sport.

     What Else Do We Need: In a word, we need “everything” from you. Athletes and Volunteers
     are Special Olympics. Special Olympics just wouldn’t exist without either. Both come in all
     shapes, sizes, colors and types. There is a position for you no matter what resources, skills or
     talents you may have.

     Athletes: The whole point of Special Olympics is to provide sports opportunities and life
     experiences for you. We need to find you and get you involved. We need you to let your
     friends know about Special Olympics. We need you to let us know about them. So, one
     way or another, both you and your friends can get involved.

     Volunteer Time: We need coaches and assistant coaches. We need chaperones and drivers.
     We need coordinators. We need fundraisers. We need advocates. We need accounting and
     financial help. We need technical experts of all types. We need media contacts. We need
     people that can stuff envelopes. We need legal services. I think you get the idea. Special
     Olympics Virginia, Area 26, is currently composed of roughly two thousand people. About
     half are volunteers. The others are athletes. As with any organization our size, existence is
     complicated. There are always unmet needs. We need you to fill those needs. You know
     what you’re good at and how much time you have. E-mail us and let us know. Your e-mail
     will be forwarded to a person who can sign you up and answers any of your questions.
     10 minutes per week or 40 hours per week, we need you.

     In any given week or month, critical needs bubble up that require focused attention. As they
     do, we’ll post them at the top of this page. Check back often so you don’t miss your
     chance to help with something for which you are particularly well suited.

     Volunteer Funding: An important part of our program is access to venues for our athletic
     events. Some people volunteer use of their facilities for these events. Some donate funds that
     pay for use of facilities we must rent, transportation to facilities, and accommodations for
     trips outside of our immediate area. One hundred percent of all Area 26 donations go to
     support our programs. There’s no administrative overhead because all of Area 26’s
     administrative functions are performed by people who volunteer their time. If you would like
     to volunteer funds, you can do so by writing checks to Special Olympics Virginia, Area 26
     and sending them to 11350 Random Hills Road Suite C-140 Fairfax, VA 22030. If you would like
     to put Area 26 in your will, we have the necessary boilerplate legalese for that too. You can
     earmark your donation for the “general fund” or for a particular program, like “Basketball”,
     by noting it in your check comment. Donations are tax deductable. No donation is too small
     or too big.

     With the economy in its current shape, we’ve seen a decrease in corporate contributions.
     Consequently, we need to find more business contributors as well as more private donors.
     Why not see if your company might like to support Area 26? Some even have programs that
     match their employee’s private donations.

     For more information on volunteering, see our Volunteers webpage.