South Section Highlights – March 2008

SOMA South continued a strong start to 2008 highlighted by strong, sustainable growth in athlete & fundraising numbers, bringing the benefits of sports training and competition to more southeastern Massachusetts athletes – 3,257 at last count – than ever before…

·         Hit a grand slam with our first-ever Passion Plunge Cape Cod at Old Silver Beach in Falmouth on Saturday Feb. 16. More than 68 Plungers raised a whopping $36,000, more than twice the pre-event fundraising goal for that location, the event’s fourth site.

·         Cheered 120 special needs students of all ages and ability levels from Fall River, Dartmouth and Westport at the 2^nd annual SOMA Fall River “School Day Basketball Games” held on Friday March 7 at Durfee High’s Luke Urban Fieldhouse – backed by new corporate volunteer groups from Bank of America, Bristol County Savings Bank, and Webster Bank.

·         Filled five coach buses with skiers & boarders for the annual Jim Haskins Ski Challenge on Sunday March 9 at Loon Mountain – raising thousands for SOMA athletes, events and activities in southeastern MA – special thanks to Rep. Mike Rodrigues and Bob Mercer from Bob’s Sea and Ski.

·         Held annual SOMA South Section Candlepin Bowling Tournament at Alley Kat Lanes in Kingston on Sunday March 9 serving 190 bowlers across two sessions – one participant called it the “smoothest candlepin tournament I can remember.”

·         Running multiple Brockton School Day Games in bowling (March 7 & March 14) and developmental ice skating (March 12 & April 9) for Brockton’s public school students with special needs.

·         Added 3 new corporate teams to Bristol County Corporate Games on Sunday Feb. 24 at Durfee High in Fall River – teams from Citizen-Union Savings Bank, Bank Five, Webster Bank, Able Associates, Polyneer and Bay State Gymnastics joined forces to raise $8,100 for SOMA.

·         Continued planning blockbuster Brockton Public Schools “Young Athletes Week” – June 2-6, 2008 – for at least 500 Brockton schoolchildren aged 2-8.

·         2008 Winter Season Assessment Round Highlights:

o        Held largest ever South Section Ten Pin bowling tournament – 219 bowlers competed at AMF Taunton Lanes on Sunday Jan. 27 – and earned the right to bowl at SOMA Winter Games in Worcester

o        Hosted largest ever South Section Basketball tournament – 467 Athletes & Unified Partners on 45 teams competed at Stonehill College on Sunday Feb. 10 – featuring new teams from Mansfield & Mashpee LIFE, plus representatives from South Section sponsors Bristol County Savings Bank, Enterprise Rent-A-Car & Philadelphia Insurance Companies