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All New Alumni Bracket!
Starting this year, we are proud to announce the start of
the Alumni Bracket. Those individuals who have participated in
previous years are welcome to continue enjoying the fun. This age group is
open to past participants ages 22 and up! Those of you who would like to
carry on the Virginia Victory Games spirit are welcome to fill
out an application and enroll in this years games!
The Alumni Bracket will award winners in all
categories of events, just like the former Rainbow Games. We are excited
about bring this new portion of the Games to our athletes. Please join us in
welcoming you back to the games! Let the flame continue to burn bright!
This year's special guest
Ken Oxendine!
Ox as he was called when he played his college days at
Virginia Tech before being drafted to the NFL by the Atlanta Falcons, where
he played for two seasons. Ken was born in Richmond, VA and played high
school football at Thomas Dale, in Chester, Virginia.
Today, Ken works at Northe Dame Academy in Duluth, GA,
where he continues his love for the physical fitness and education. He is
graciously filling in for William, due to a scheduling conflict. Please join
us in thanking Ken for his time and welcoming him back to Richmond!
The 2009 Games are coming!
The Games date has been confirmed for March 7, 2009 at the Kemper
Athletic Center, located on the campus of St. Christopher's School!
Please welcome Linda Crews as our new Athlete Recruiter and Angie Scales
as our new Secretary/Registration Coordinator! If any of have
any questions please feel free to contact them.
We are looking for volunteers. If you are interested, please contact us on
how you can be come part of the Virginia Victory Games Board or committee
member.
Don't forget athletes, your ticket to the game is to tell someone else
and bring them along so that they can enjoy the Games with you!
Special thank you to the following:
St. Christopher's School, thank you for the use of the Kemper
Athletic Center. Without your help, the 2008 Games would not have been as
successful.
Maya Love and William Henderson, your continued connection to the
games has become a factor the each one of children look forward to enjoying
each year.
To all of our sponsors, we thank you for your continues support.
We look forward to your participation in this years games.
Our History:
The Virginia Victory Games, formerly known as The Rainbow
Olympic Games, was first organized in 1981 in Richmond, Virginia by a group
of physical and recreational therapists. The idea was to give young people
with disabilities the challenge of athletic competition similar to their
non-disabled peers. The Games were an immediate hit and have been a success
each year since. In 1992, The Rainbow Games (as it was called then) became a
non-profit organization, relying on contributions from businesses,
organizations, and individuals to fund the Games and continue the tradition
of offering eligible participants the opportunity to compete at no cost to
them.
OUR PRESENT:
The Virginia Victory Games is a one-day sporting event held
annually in Richmond, Virginia for children and adolescents (ages 6-21) with
medically diagnosed visual and/or physical disabilities. These children are
not eligible to participate in the Special Olympics because they do not have
any mental deficiencies. In order to ensure fair competition, all
competitors are classified based on their level of disability.
The 27th annual Games were held March 24th, 2007. The competition was held at
the Arthur Ashe Center and involved the following track and field events:
club throw/softball throw, shot-put, standing long jump, modified bowling,
wheelchair slalom, 60M race, 200M race, and 800M race. Awards were given out
at the end of the day based on the participant's performance within their
age group and classification.
OUR FUTURE:
The Virginia Victory Games are open to all children in
Virginia meeting the eligibility criteria. In the past we have had as many
as 100 participants, but we know that there are many more children who could
benefit from this opportunity. Our goal is to recruit more eligible
participants from around the state, and encourage young people with
disabilities to remain as active as possible. We hope to continue to make
the Virginia Victory Games a fun experience, building positive self-esteem
and friendships to last for a lifetime! |
