Special Olympics Mid-Winter Games

I didn't really know that much about badminton. I figured it is kind of like tennis and I know how to play tennis. How many rules can there be? So, when I signed us up to run the badminton event at Special Olympics, I didn't it would be that difficult.

And I was wrong. Who knew there are so many rules in badminton? We were given a quick 30 minute crash course in badminton and then went off to officiate matches. I'm pretty sure that I was a horrible court official. I think I was more nervous than the athletes. Medals and badminton glory were on the line and I didn't want to make a bad call (which I'm sure I did).

Seriously though, Special Olympics was a lot of fun. And, as cheesy as it sounds (and I know it sounds really cheesy), winning and losing took a backseat at Special Olympics. The athletes typified the very meaning of good sportsmanship. It was very rewarding to see the sense of accomplishment from all the athletes. It's one of those moments when you can see what makes sports so great. I feel privileged to to have had a small role in the event's operations and helping facilitate that experience. Plus they gave us t-shirts and some lunch! Hopefully I didn't make too many bad calls and we're allowed to come back in the future.

Two side notes:

• Power lifting was going on at the same time. I didn't have a chance to watch it much (because, as I previously explained, I was so focused on my matches and not ruining badminton glory), but what I did see was really impressive. Put it this way: I was at the gym the next day and felt quite inadequate... more than normal.
  
  
• My mom decided that, in her continual effort to be as politically correct as possible, the game should called "good-minton". She also told a few of my friends to not let bartenders put fruit in their drinks. It's a germs/hygiene kick that she's on. My mom is full of all sorts of great advice.

Thank you to everyone who came out and volunteered and to Edwena, the Volunteer and Family Services Director for Special Olympics South Carolina.



For more information on Special Olympics South Carolina, please visit www.so-sc.org.

Backpack Buddies at LCFB

For two hours on January 22 Kevin and I helped with BackPack Buddies at the Lowcountry Food Bank.

"There are children in America that rely on resources such as free or reduced-priced school lunch, during the school year. The BackPack Program is designed to meet the needs of hungry children at times when other resources are not available, such as weekends and school vacations." - America's Second Harvest website.

On Fridays, Lowcountry Food Bank provides students in need with nutritious food and snacks to take home for the weekend. And, since the children aren't showing up to school on Monday hungry, dizzy and with stomach-aches, they are more prepared to learn.

Working with employees from Johnson & Johnson we put together 1350 bags. Good times were had by all. Well, maybe except for one girl from Johnson & Johnson who, it turns out, lives in the same house I lived in a year and a half ago. I think it officially became uncomfortable when she said the address and I replied, "Yeah, that's where I used to live. My room was the green bedroom." And she looked stunned and said, "That's my bedroom." But, other than that, good times were had by all.

For more information on Lowcountry Food Bank visit www.LowcountryFoodBank.org.
For more information on BackPack Buddies visit www.SecondHarvest.org.