SUNLAND, Calif. — Winning the RE/MAX World Long Drive Senior Championship was a special victory in the life of Horsepower Golf owner Pat Dempsey, but it doesn’t compare to the small victories he earns every day that he spends working for Special Olympics. Moved by his introduction to Special Olympics during a recent Long Drive exhibition, Dempsey has announced his full dedication to Special Olympics and has joined the committee to organize the 2006 4th Annual SCVSO Charity Golf Tournament, which will raise funds to promote the Special Olympics mission in the Santa Clarita area.
"The Special Olympics organization originally brought me on to host their Long Drive Exhibition, but after spending a day with these ‘Special Athletes’ I knew I wanted to get involved more seriously," says Dempsey. "Sports have always been a big part of my life and it makes my heart sing each time I can help one of these athletes along with their athletic goals. Part of our mission at Horsepower Golf is to be an active part of our community and we are happy to do our small part for this great cause. I encourage everyone to support Special Olympics programs with either financial support or by volunteering time or resources; you can’t beat the return on the investment when you make one of these athletes smile."
The mission of Special Olympics is to provide sports training and competition in a variety of Olympic-type sports for children and adults with intellectual disabilities, providing them with opportunities to develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage, experience joy and share their gifts, skills, and friendship with their families, other Special Olympics athletes, and the community. Special Olympics of Southern California is divided into 33 local area programs, including the Santa Clarita Valley area program, which raise funds to support the training of athletes and hosting of local competitions. Allowing more than 11,000 children and adults with disabilities to train and compete in 23 different sports, including golf, in an effort to qualify for the World Games, Special Olympics affects the lives of many families throughout California.
Events like the 2006 4th Annual SCVSO Charity Golf Tournament help raise money to fund the rising costs of training and event hosting. Each Special Olympics athlete receives a minimum of eight weeks of training from volunteer coaches in their chosen sport prior to competitions. In addition to sports training and competition opportunities, Special Olympics athletes are also encouraged to participate in other Athlete Leadership Programs (ALPS), including serving on the SOSC Board of Directors, acting as Global Messengers to help to spread the word about Special Olympics in public presentations and being trained to be certified as both coaches and officials. This large amount of participation would not be possible without the volunteer hours and dollars donated by the generous supporters of the organization.
To learn more about Special Olympics or how to donate to the 4th Annual SCVSO Charity Golf Tournament, visit http://www.sosc.org/santaclarita.html or email santaclarita@sosc.org.
Owned and operated by World Long Drive Senior Champion Pat Dempsey, Horsepower Golf is dedicated to custom-building the finest drivers and golf equipment on the market today. Unlike many golf equipment-fitting facilities, Horsepower Golf specializes in using the highest-quality clubheads and shafts that consistently drive the ball in excess of 370 yards – components that, until recently, have only been available to Tour and Long Drive professionals. For more information on Pat Dempsey or Horsepower Golf, call 866.284.0151 or visit http://horsepowergolf.com.
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