2013 Capitol Hill Day

By Ramonica Jones

Are you a fan of Special Olympics Texas?  Do you love to share your enthusiasm about SOTX with others?  Would you like to visit your legislators to garner support for Special Olympics Texas athletes... and to make a difference in the lives of people with intellectual disabilities?  You can!  We're looking for athletes and volunteers from throughout the state who are interested in representing Texas at Special Olympics' 2013 National Hill Day in Washington, D.C. during either the last week of February or first week of March.* 

You'll tour some of Washington's most prestigious and historic locations; meet and network with your fellow athletes, volunteers, honored guests, and legislators from throughout the nation; make legislative visits to U.S. Senators and Representatives to share information and represent Special Olympics Texas; and enjoy special receptions featuring honored guests. 

ATHLETE QUALIFICATIONS:
- Must be at least 12 years old.

- If the athlete is NOT a Global Messenger, the athlete must be accompanied on the trip by a parent or guardian who is a Class A volunteer and submits a 2012 Hill Day Volunteer Nomination Form.   

- Must be able to travel via airplane.

- Must be able to complete a full day of visits at the Capitol.

- Must pay for your own airfare, hotel, some meals and personal expenses. 

- Must be available for travel either the last week of February (2/25-2/28) or the first week of March (3/4-3/8)*.

VOLUNTEER QUALIFICATIONS:
- Must be a registered Class A volunteer (if you are not already a Class A volunteer, we will notify you of the steps that you must take to become one upon selection).

- Must be at least 21 years of age.

- Must be able to serve as an athlete chaperone.

- Must pay for your own airfare, hotel, some meals and personal expenses.

- Must be available for travel either the last week of February (2/25-2/28) or the first week of March (3/4-3/8)*.

SELECTION NOTE: In addition to meeting the above criteria, nominations will be reviewed in the order in which they were received, taking into account geographic representation and past attendance.  You will be representing the more than 44,000 athletes and 32,000 volunteers in Texas, so visits will be solely focused on promoting SOTX as a whole.   

Nominate yourself or someone you know for this once in a lifetime experience!  Please fill out the nomination form and submit it to Tela Mange, Vice President of Communications, no later than Jan. 4. 2013.  Forms may be emailed to Tela Mange (tmange@sotx.org), faxed to 512.835.7756 or mailed to Special Olympics Texas, ATTN: Tela Mange, 7715 Chevy Chase Drive, Suite 120, Austin, TX 78752.

Questions?  Email tmange@sotx.org or call 512.491.2928.

* The actual date of the Special Olympics Hill Day has not been set, but we believe the visit to Capitol Hill will be sometime during the last week of February or first week of March. We hope to know soon.