On October 16th, 2016, the North American Council of Teen SOYO sponsors the 36th Annual Special Olympics Awareness Day. Every August, Teen SOYO hosts and funds an annual week‐long camp for Special Olympics Athletes at the Antiochian Village. Over the past 35 years, Teen SOYO has fostered a camping experience like no other. Our camp demonstrates a unified environment where teen SOYO members from across the Archdiocese come together with coaches from Special Olympics Pennsylvania (SOPA) and enthusiastic athletes for an intense week of sports training and witness to Christ.
Through your generous donations, SOYO Special Olympics Sports Camp has grown immensely through the years. This year, we experienced a record number of athletes in attendance, and have accomplished an astounding 35 years of SOYO Special Olympics Camp. Over these 35 years, we have hosted more than 7,700 athletes and coaches, and over 1,050 of our teens have been blessed by working as SOYO Coaches or Volunteers. It is our pleasure to have the opportunity to serve, pray, and play with these Special Olympics Athletes, and we look forward, with your help, to continuing this important ministry.
We Need YOUR HELP!
1. Please publicize Special Olympics Awareness Day. Enclosed you will find two bulletin inserts in various sizes, one for October 9th and the other for October 16th. Please include the bulletin inserts in your parish bulletin, online, and share this cause from the pulpit. Your enthusiastic promotion of this important SOYO ministry will go a long way in producing fruitful results from our faithful.
2. We have found it beneficial to have two teens stand next to each breadbasket at the end of Liturgy, one holding a basket for contributions and the other handing out the enclosed Icon bookmarks, which are given as an expression of gratitude for the donor's financial contribution.
3. Also included in this mailing is a one sheet message for one of your teens to share with the faithful in Church on October 16th. Please be sure a teen is prepared to read this message in Church on 16 October.
4. Enclosed is a letter from Metropolitan Joseph for you to read from the pulpit and publish in your parish bulletin.
5. Immediately following Special Olympics Awareness Day, your teens or parish treasurer should send their check for the full amount collected to:
Special Olympics Awareness Day
Department of Youth Ministry
PO Box 389 – Westwood MA 02090-0389
Please make the check payable to NAC Teen SOYO and write in the memo: SOAD.
We appreciate your help and participation in this life-changing ministry.
Your brother in Christ,
V. Rev. Dr. Joseph F. Purpura