Special Olympics Alberta has launched a Draft An Athlete program in support of the provincial team at the 2012 national Winter Games in St. Albert.
Businesses, organizations or individuals can help fund athletes with intellectual disabilities with a minimum $1,000 commitment.
“It’s a great opportunity for people to really get to know some of the individual athletes at that level,” said Marvin Babiuk, director of marketing and partnerships for Special Olympics Alberta. “It’s an opportunity to become a little bit more personally involved in terms of following the athlete as they work and train towards the games.”
Seventy-eight athletes will represent Alberta at the Special Olympics Canada Winter Games.
“This program is geared to help offset the costs of the training, travel and accommodations for the athletes at the games. We want the athletes to certainly focus on what they do best and that is to give it their 100 per cent towards the Games and we want to take care of them as much as possible,” Babiuk said. “It really emphasizes how much they really are like athletes. They deserve to be in that class and we have the opportunity to put them in the spotlight.”
The Draft An Athlete initiative is a common Special Olympics program.
“It’s a wonderful opportunity for the athletes,” Babiuk said. “There are other provinces that have their own Draft An Athlete or Adopt An Athlete. The national office, Special Olympics Canada, had a national Draft An Athlete program this past year for athletes who were competing at the international Summer Games in Athens.”
Investing in an athlete includes the following benefits:
• Company logo and link on the interactive Special Olympics Alberta athlete webpage and e-newsletter.
• Company logo on trading cards produced for athlete distribution.
• Opportunity for a Special Olympics Alberta athlete inspiration visit, along with a representative of Special Olympics, to speak to staff and customers.
• Ten Special Olympics Team Alberta pins and a keepsake pin.
• The right to use the Special Olympics Alberta and Team Alberta logos on marketing collateral pieces.
“It’s geared towards companies that have the capacity to support the Alberta community,” Babiuk said. “Obviously if there are individuals or a group of individuals that want to take it on we certainly have that option as well.”
Draft An Athlete started two months ago and continues until the games begin Feb. 28.
“We’ve had a few athletes who have been drafted and we would like to have as many as possible drafted,” said Babiuk.
The St. Albert resident estimated 700 athletes from across the country will participate in Alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, curling, figure skating, floor hockey, snowshoeing and speed skating.
The Games are also a qualifying event to represent Canada at the 2013 Special Olympics World Winter Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea.
“This is pretty much for a lot of them, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to compete on a national level,” Babiuk said. “It’s also going to be real exciting with the national spotlight coming to our province.”
All the sports will be staged in St. Albert, except for Alpine skiing at Marmot Basin in Jasper.
“It’s a great opportunity to highlight Special Olympics Alberta programs,” Babiuk said. “We’re basically a 360-day operation. It’s not just about specific events either. There are competitions or events that are basically on a weekly basis. Obviously as a provincial office it’s our responsibility to ensure that those programs do run and also work closely with the affiliates, which are the region communities such as Special Olympics St. Albert.”
For more information about Draft An Athlete, contact Babiuk at 780-420-5505 or [email protected].
