Special Olympics Virginia Announces Annual Award Winners

Special Olympics Virginia handed out its annual awards at the 2010 Awards Celebration, presented by Farm Bureau Insurance, March 2, in Richmond. 

“Farm Bureau Insurance is extremely proud to be a part of this annual awards ceremony,” said Donnie Knowlson, Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Virginia Farm Bureau Insurance and also a member of the Special Olympics Virginia Board of Directors.  “We hope, through our support, more of our employees and members of the community will become involved in this program, as I believe that Special Olympics Virginia inspires greatness – greatness of spirit and will in lieu of physical, intellectual or fiscal greatness.”

Awards were presented for the 2009 Athlete of the Year, Coach of the Year, Outstanding Area Volunteer of the Year (two awards), Outstanding Family of the Year and Program Volunteer of the Year.  The Virginia H. Foster Winning Spirit Award, which is bestowed to an athlete or volunteer who has an impact on many levels of the organization, also was awarded.  Congratulations to this year’s winners:

• Program Volunteer of the Year: Vicky Keaton of Newport News - The Program Volunteer of the Year has been involved with Special Olympics Virginia for 22 years.  Starting as a volunteer at the registration table for the Alpine event, a need arose at the Alpine and Summer Games that our 2009 Program Volunteer of the Year could fill.  In 1988 our Program Volunteer of the Year formed Security teams for both the Summer Games and Alpine Championships.  Vicky’s teams watch over the dorms, help with emergency situations, and respond to almost any situation to keep our athletes, volunteers and coaches safe while they are at Special Olympics events.   Vicky is responsible for recruiting all of the security volunteers for these events and we know when our volunteers are great at what they do because their team members keep volunteering year after year after year.  Vicky also promotes Special Olympics at work and encourages her fellow employees to give to Special Olympics through their work place giving campaigns.   
• Area Volunteer of the Year: Ryan Pallone of Radford - This year’s Area Volunteer of the Year has been volunteering in Special Olympics Virginia for 7 years.  His experience with individual with intellectual disabilities started through a friend who had brother who has Down’s Syndrome.  When Ryan Pallone was in college, he wrote a paper about this young man and the relationship he had established with him.   His professor for this class was involved in Special Olympics basketball and asked him if he wanted to come out and see what it was all about.  7 years later and many basketball games ago, here he is.  Ryan has coached basketball, volleyball, softball and skiing.  He is also a partner in the weekly bowling league.  He is active in several fundraisers and has taken athletes to the National Bowling Invitational in Las Vegas, Nevada.
  
• Outstanding Family of the Year: The Vasquez Family of Alexandria - The Vasquez family has served as coaches, volunteers and Daniel has been an athlete in the program for the past 8 years.   Like many families in our program, the athlete spurs the interest for all to get involved.  First starting with soccer, Daniel’s interests have expanded to swimming, ice skating, and track and field.  Beyond volunteering, coaching and participating in Special Olympics, the family is actively involved at their church, at Boy Scouts, volunteer at homeless shelters and nursing homes, collect money for UNICEF and volunteer in the local school system with various projects. 
  
• Coach of the Year: Jim Stott of Virginia Beach - Jim Stott hails from Virginia Beach.  He has been involved in Special Olympics Virginia for 21 years.  He coaches volleyball, track and field and basketball.  He is an integral part of trip planning for one of the biggest Area programs in the state.  More importantly, like many of our volunteers, Jim is a person who truly cares about our athletes and the quality of their lives everyday.  Please join me in congratulating the first recipient of the 2009 Coach of the Year Award, Coach Jim Stott.
  
• Coach of the Year: Leo Alonso of Fairfax - Coach Leo Alonso has been a mainstay in Special Olympics Virginia for almost 25 years.  He began volunteering as a track and field coach for Area 26 in 1983.  The following years he was volunteering again through the Optimist Club at the South Lake High School Basketball Tournament.  He has been a Special Olympics coach at Vienna Elementary School, Thoreau Middle School, Paul VI Catholic High School and George Mason University.  He initiated the “Under the Lights” Soccer Tournament at Paul VI eleven years ago.  He started two dances a year at Paul VI for the athletes.  As much as our Special Olympics athletes like to dance, I am sure right there and then Coach Leo took his spot as not only a coach but a legend.  Along with his Special Olympics responsibilities he is also a member of the International Order of Alhambra that also supports Special Olympics in northern Virginia in many ways.  
  
• Athlete of the Year: Brendan Hammeke of Fairfax - The athlete of the year for 2009 has been in Special Olympics for 19 years.  He has participated in basketball, bowling, equestrian, gymnastics, ice skating, power lifting, soccer, softball, swimming and track and field.  He has been the athlete representative on the Area 26 council.  He is an active advocate on Capital Hill with the Down Syndrome Association of North America.  He was a member of the 2006 National Games Team from Virginia as a swimmer.  He is a current Special Olympics Virginia Global Messenger.
  
• Virginia H. Foster Winning Spirit Award: Brian Evans of Richmond - The 2009 Virginia H. Foster Winning Spirit Award winner has been a sponsor, a personal donor and volunteer in Special Olympics Virginia.  Brian personally sponsored two athletes to the 2007 World Games in Shanghai, China.  He was the honorary head coach and team patron of the Virginia delegation that was part of Team USA at the 2009 World Games in Boise, Idaho.  The fitness company that Brian owns has been a training site for individual athletes as the prepare for World and National Games and has been a team training site for Team Virginia as it prepares for the 2010 U.S. National Games.  Brian will be the Team Patron for the 2010 National Games Team going to Lincoln, Nebraska in July.  Brian promotes Special Olympics by arranging for Summer Games and Basketball Championship ads to run through the video systems at the Richmond locations and Fredericksburg location helping recruit volunteers and promoting awareness for Special Olympics.  His staff has been actively involved in volunteering at our Summer Games for years.  He has opened his facilities as a competition site for Swimming Skills when we were need for a competition venue.  He has personally served as a volunteer at swimming and at our Little Feet meet at Douglas Freeman High School.