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The Thirteenth Annual Delta Dental
Classic will take place June 4, 2003, at Fiddler's Elbow
Country Club in Bedminster, New Jersey.
The Delta Dental Classic raises
funds for Special Olympics New Jersey, an organization
dedicated to empowering individuals with mental
retardation to become physically fit, productive and
respected members of society through sports training and
competition.
As one of Special Olympics New
Jersey Premier Sponsors, Delta Dental provides support
that enables Special Olympics athletes to train and
compete in events year-round. "Delta Dental's
support over the years has enabled us to build the
program and provide opportunities to many more
athletes," says Heather Andersen of Special
Olympics New Jersey.
Internationally, Special Olympics
serves more than one million persons with mental
retardation in more than 150 countries around the world.
In the Garden State, Special Olympics New Jersey
provides training for more than 13,500 athletes in 300
local communities. "Because of support from
organizations such as Delta Dental, we can offer these
programs completely free of charge to the athletes and
their families," says Andersen.
The Delta Dental Classic has
raised more than $355,000 for Special Olympics New
Jersey since 1991.
"We are proud to support
Special Olympics New Jersey and the athletes who
participate in its programs," says Walter VanBrunt,
President and CEO of Delta Dental Plan of New Jersey.
"Special Olympics New Jersey has made a profound
difference in so many lives, and I'm honored that Delta
Dental could help make that happen."
In addition to sponsoring the
annual golf outing for Special Olympics New Jersey,
Delta Dental has hosted a number of other events
throughout the year, including the Ice Show at the
Winter Games and the 2002 Super Bowl party for the
athletes and their coaches.
To be eligible to participate in
Special Olympics New Jersey, athletes must be at least
eight years old and identified by an agency or
professional as having one of the following conditions:
mental retardation, cognitive delays as measured by
formal assessment, or significant learning or vocational
problems due to cognitive delay that require or have
required specially designed instruction. It does not
cost anything to participate.
Special Olympics New Jersey offers
training and competition in the following sports:
Fall - soccer, volleyball,
cycling, golf, roller skating
Winter - alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, figure
skating, floor hockey
Spring - basketball, bowling
Summer - track and field, swimming, bocce, table tennis,
tennis, power lifting, softball, rhythmic gymnastics,
artistic gymnastics
Special Olympics New Jersey also
offers the Special Olympics Motor Activities Training
Program (MATP) for those with profound disabilities.
MATP emphasizes training and participation rather than
competition.
For more information about Special
Olympics New Jersey, visit its Web site at www.sonj.org
or call 800-650-7665.
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