Special Olympics to honor Kiwanis

Lasalle, Illinois, News Tribune
http://www.newstrib.com/articles/news/local/default.asp?article=A80ED8BA5AC0B057D45049B4AB47148611F3FEFEAF65BCFD

For at least 32 years, members of La Salle-Peru Kiwanis Club have volunteered at every Starved Rock Area Special Olympics competition, taking Polaroid photos of every competitor, “so that no athlete is ever without a picture of winning an award.”

Patricia Walters, club president, said that adds up to 2,000 to 3,000 photos each year, at a cost of about $2,500 each year. But it’s worth it to the club.

“At the end of the day, when everyone leaves the field, there’s always a little bit of litter left behind. And in 32 years, there’s never been a photo left on the ground,” Walters said.

For that effort, the club was set to receive the Special Olympics Illinois Award for Outstanding Organization of 2009 today during a ceremony at Illinois State University.

Special Olympics hosts 14 competitions each year and Kiwanis Club members also volunteer in other capacities, helping at awards presentations and serving as time recorders, or helping athletes line up to begin a race.

They’ve built stands for the awards and donate “thousands upon thousands of man hours,” Walters said. Cheryl DePaepe, area director of Starved Rock Area 16 Special Olympics, said the award is given to only one organization in the state each year.

The photo tradition will change next year, Walters said, because this is the last year Polaroid will support the film they use. The organization is contemplating taking the project digital and evaluating what new technology will allow them to continue their service for Special Olympics.