Tourism, Culture and Recreation
January 18, 2011

The following is being distributed at the request of Sport Newfoundland and Labrador:

Countdown to the 2011 Special Olympics Winter Games in Corner Brook

Special Olympics Newfoundland and Labrador has announced that Corner Brook has been selected as host city for the 2011 Special Olympics Newfoundland and Labrador Winter Games, to be held February 18-20.

To launch the countdown to these games, the Games Organizing Committee (GOC) will be holding a media event on Thursday, January 27. At this event, the GOC will introduce RBC as the Presenting Sponsor of the Athletes Village, the official accommodation venue for all athletes participating at the games.

The media event will be hosted at Corner Brook Regional High and will kick off at 12:30 p.m. Among those attending will be Nelson White, Executive Director of Special Olympics Newfoundland and Labrador; GOC Chair Len Moores and RBC Branch Manager Adam Buckle. A reception will be held following the formal proceedings.

These Provincial Games will host over 180 athletes, coaches and mission staff who will be competing in the sports of floor hockey, snowshoeing and cross country skiing. Teams from across the province will travel to Corner Brook for the opportunity to compete and be part of this event. These games have added significance because they will be used to select Team Newfoundland and Labrador members who will represent the province at the 2012 Special Olympics Canada Summer Games in St. Albert, Alberta in February, 2012.

Special Olympics Newfoundland and Labrador is dedicated to enriching the lives of Newfoundlanders and Labradorians with an intellectual disability through sport. It is a provincial not-for-profit grassroots organization that provides sport training and competition opportunities for over 550 athletes of all ages and abilities. There are currently 13 community-based clubs that offer sport programs. Through sport, Special Olympics offers athletes and families a sense of achievement and an opportunity to excel as they take on leadership roles within their community.

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Media contact:
Nelson White
Executive Director
Special Olympics Newfoundland and Labrador
354 Water Street – Suite 426
St. John’s, NL A1C 1C4
Phone: 709-690-8335, Fax: 709-738-0119
nelsonw@sonl.ca

2011 10 18                                                         2:45 p.m.