Tuesday, November 22, 2011

The Best Thanksgiving I Have Ever Had

The Best Thanksgiving I Have Ever Had
By Charles Rachel

The best Thanksgiving I had happened a few years ago. We used to have a larger table so we could all sit at there and eat at once. Now Thanksgiving is a two day event bacause my sister and her family go to my brother in law's grandmother's house on Thanksgiving day and still have dinner with us the day after. I like it when we are all together.

Life On The Planet Mars

Life on the planet Mars
By Charles Rachel

The aliens that live on the planet Mars are called Martians. People have had experiences of being examined while on a space ship by the green creatures. What could they want with us? What could we learn from them?
They have more advanced medicines and medical technology, which means fewer illnesses. We might also learn a new Martian break dance. We could also teach them how to speak English and how to get along with others.
Stories of U.F.O.s and Aliens have been around for many years. Are they true? We may never know. We might also learn more about what life might be like on the planet Mars. Then we might find out if our type of life could be supported on Mars, in the event we would need to leave

Thursday, November 17, 2011

My idea of the perfect vacation

My idea of the perfect vacation
By Charles Rachel

My perfect vacation would be going back to Walt Disney world in Florida. I went on vacation there in 1997 and loved every minute of it. On the last morning of the trip we had breakfast with the characters. It was lots of fun. I would even live there if I could.

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Special Olympics Maryland

The Maryland Special Olympics
By: Charles Rachel
The Special Olympics was founded in 1962 by the late Eunice Kennedy Shriver as a summer day camp for people with intellectual disabilities at her home in Maryland. It has since become a world wide annual event that athletes like myself look forward to each year.
I have competed in the soft ball throw, the straight wheel chair race, and the slalom in which you must drive between traffic cones that are set up on the track. I won first, second, third, and fourth place in these events in years past. Between the mid 1980s to late 1990s. Many clients from the Arc of Carroll County also participate in the Special Olympics. My friend Tammy Hollibaugh is an athlete in the Special Olympics. She has been involved since she was eight years old in elementary school. She is also on the Special Olympics council which is a meeting for people all over the State. She participates in 7 sports. Tammy said " I love being an athlete. Having fun and trying my hardest. I like cheering on the other teams too. Special Olympics is the only event where you can cheer for both sides.It is wonderful to just go and enjoy the day."
Cathi is Tammy's Mom. Cathi is on the olympic committee which plans the Special Olympics event each year.
Special Olympic teams are made up of athletes. They choose three sports in which to participate. It might be swimming, basketball, gymnastics or many other sports. They then meet on the weekends leading up to the event to practice their skills at these sports.
The day of competition begins with some words from County, State, and Special Olympics officials to excite the athletes for the day. Then after the national anthem, the officials give their go ahead to let the games begin! Then the athletes are assigned fans. The assigned fans can be anyone from family members, friends, or volenteers. They may be someone the athletes are meeting for the first time. These fans or huggers as they were once known are people who help the athletes get to their events on time. They also help them get lunch. After their events officers of the Maryland State police department present the athletes with their awards. After all of the athletes have competed in their events, the day of competition ends. This happens twice a year. The first is known as the County Olympics and is usually held in April at Westminster, Maryland. The second is the State Olympics which is held in Towson, Maryland. This time athletes from all over the State compete. However, there is one difference. The event is now two days long in this location. Day one begins with the opening remarks from State and Olympic officials. The athletes must then spend the night there. On day two competition begins. Competition is the same as previusly stated above. Then the athletes return home and look forward to next year when it begins All over again. I then asked both Tammy and Cathi what their favorite part of the day is from begining to end. Cathi said "Just seeing everyone who is there" and Tammy said "I like competing."
Then I asked how they would feel if there were no Special Olympics. Both Tammy and Cathi said " We don't know what we would be doing if there was no Special Olympics. We can't picture our lives without the Special Olympics in it." Personally I think the Special Olympics is the greatest event ever created for people with disabilities because it shows what we can do when we put our minds to it.
So in closing, I would like to say. Thank you to Mrs. Shriver. May she rest in peace. I would also like to thank those who are now running the organization. To the athletes I leave my final thought. Let us win, but if we can not win. Let us be brave in the attempt!

Citation:
"The history of the special olympics." Specialolympics.org. Special Olympics, n.d. Web. 20 Oct. 2011.