Friendship First: Agency Spotlight
The news projects that by summer 2008, fuel prices will skyrocket to $4 a gallon for unleaded. It’s tough to imagine how people and business will survive, but Special Olympics isn’t concerned. While the United States runs on gasoline, Special Olympics Wisconsin runs on volunteers. And at the heart of the volunteer effort are the agencies that together head up more than 210 teams in the state of Wisconsin alone. One of these agencies is in Adams County.
Restarted in 1993, Agency 6-31 in Adams-Friendship serves about 50 in Adams County and offers three sports: track, bowling and team basketball. The agency manager, Joni Zander, also coaches track and bowling, and pitches in as a last resort for basketball. “Basketball is not my forte,” Zander said.
As the manager, Zander wears many different hats and sometimes finds it hard to keep up, but with the tremendous help of her volunteers and coaches the agency always lands on its feet. “I have been very lucky with volunteers and coaches,” she said. “Everyone gives 100 percent.”
While the Adam’s County Association for Exceptional Citizens is the base group for the agency, it does partner with other groups for fundraising. Two of the most successful programs have been with the Knights of Columbus and the Adams County ATV Club. The club sponsors an ATV ride each year raising over $3,000.