South Section Highlights - June 2008

     SOMA South held 13 major competitions during the just-concluded Summer Season, serving a record

     total of 3,150 athletes this season alone. See below for more highlights from SOMA South, including our 

     first-ever co-sponsored reception with the Metro South (Greater Brockton) Chamber of Commerce.

        Program Highlights:

·         Launched 6 new South Section teams: Taunton High School Track & Field, Greater Taunton Aquatics, L.I.F.E. Basketball (Hyannis/Mashpee), L.I.F.E. Track & Field , Swansea Volleyball, Swansea Track & Field

·         5 new South Section volleyball teams competed in the May 10 Volleyball Assessment Round at Wayland High – Attleboro Schools, Cardinal Cushing School, Mansfield, North Attleboro Schools & New Bedford

·         Held 13 major competitions during the just-concluded Summer Season, serving a record total of 3,150 athletes this season alone:

·         Brockton School Day Games @ Brockton High – 351 track & field athletes

·         South Section Aquatics @ Bridgewater State College – 230 athletes (largest ever)

·         Attleboro School Day Games @ Attleboro High – 500 athletes (largest ever)

·         2 South Section Track & Field Games @ Barnstable High (250 athletes) & Brockton High

        (300 athletes)

·         Dartmouth School Day Games @ Dartmouth High – 200 athletes (largest ever)

·         Cape Cod School Day Games @ Mashpee High – 110 athletes (largest ever)

·         First-ever Brockton Young Athletes Week @ Howard & Keith Schools – 824 completed the eight week training program and 769 students medaled during the 3-day event

·         Habilitation Assistance Corporation MATP (Motor Skills) @ Otis AFB – 200 athletes

·         South Section Gymnastics @ Bay State Gymnastics – 25 gymnasts

·         Wrentham Developmental MATP – 160 athletes

Fundraising & Development Highlights:

• Joined Taunton Rotary (provides access to all Massachusetts Rotary clubs)

• Became increasingly active members of all major regional Chambers of Commerce: Taunton, Metro South (Brockton), Fall River, New Bedford, Plymouth, Cape Cod & Hyannis

• Co-sponsored reception with the Metro South Chamber of Commerce – presenting before 100 local and regional business leaders

·         Planned and executed Law Enforcement Torch Run Legs in 3 major counties of South Section:

o        26^th annual Barnstable County LETR (Provincetown to Bourne – 68 miles)

o        2^nd annual Plymouth County LETR (Plymouth to Brockton – 22 miles)

o        1^st annual Bristol County LETR (Mansfield to Attleboro – 8 miles)

·         Recruited dozens of local Police Departments and Sheriff’s Departments for the first-annual Cruiser Convoy into the final day of the SOMA State Summer Games (June 15) at Harvard

·         Summer Season Event Sponsors include: Enterprise Rent-A-Car, Ocean Spray, Dunkin’ Donuts, Blue Cross/Blue Shield, Bristol County Savings Bank, Bridgewater Savings Bank, Webster Bank, ABLE Associates, Sovereign Bank, HarborOne Credit Union, Bank of America, and the Masons

·         Taped SOMA educational presentations on recurring local Cable TV shows for Taunton, Brockton (for the Young Athletes Events at the Howard & Keith Schools), Mansfield (and 11 surrounding towns), and Fall River/Somerset/Swansea

In Memoriam:

• Special Olympics said goodbye to Taunton’s Ron Arieta, known as the founder and first volunteer of the Special Olympics Massachusetts state chapter, and athlete Chelsea Ann Ponte of Westport, who both sadly passed away this Spring. Our thoughts and prayers remain with Ron’s wife Carol, the entire Arieta family, and the entire Ponte family.