Press release from Boone Police Department:
For the third consecutive year, the Boone Police Department is organizing a challenging fundraiser for North Carolina’s Special Olympic athletes- a 469 mile bicycle ride. Joining the Boone Police Department in the effort are members of the Watauga Democrat, The Hickory Police, North Carolina SBI, and members of the Boone / Appalachian State University community. This group will ride from one end of the Blue Ridge Parkway to the other to raise funding and awareness for Special Olympics North Carolina.
As these heroic officers make their way through the Blue Ridge Parkway, they will be making a stop in Asheville. While here, they want to meet up with local Buncombe County Special Olympic athletes and show their support for Special Olympics as a whole. They will arrive in town on the evening of August 10th and make their way back on their journey on the morning of August 11th. In an effort to make this a reality, Buncombe County Special Olympics athletes will meet up with the officers on the Morning of August 11th at one of our participating Coffee for Champions campaign locations (Biltmore Coffee Roasters) at 9:30am. “This will help our athletes with the community involvement they have been so longing for. These officers coming all the way from Boone, NC and making an effort to meet our athletes will help to inspire our athletes,” says Karla Furnari of the meet and greet.
Since 1987 law enforcement officers across the state have worked to raise money for Special Olympics, and last year raised over 1.2 million dollars through t-shirt sales, corporate donations, and various fundraisers. The money raised provides opportunity for those with intellectual disabilities to receive year-round training activities and funds the costs of the annual games. 160 nations around the world participate in the Special Olympics program. In North Carolina, nearly 40,000 Special Olympics athletes benefit from Special Olympic North Carolina.
“Along the way the riders meet up with Special Olympics Athletes. This year the group will meet with athletes in Sparta, Boone, and Asheville. These stops are intended create interaction with the cycling team and the athletes. We want the athletes to know that we think that they are very important. This provides an opportunity as well to meet with local media to raise awareness in the community for Special Olympics.”
– Andy Le Beau
If you would like to learn more about this event or help sponsor it please contact Captain Andy Le Beau with the Boone Police Department or go to: http://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/AndyLebeau/boonepolice. Any donations are tax deductible.
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