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Special Olympics initiatives to support families, increase volunteers

Posted in: News Varieties
Written By: Observer Staff
Article Date: Jun 6, 2009 - 11:35:33 AM
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Sixty people, representing several societies and associations specializing in working with the disabled participate in the workshop
The Yemeni Special Olympics Committee held a workshop for an initiative program to support families and increase its number of volunteers, in cooperation with the International Special Olympics Organization. Sixty people, representing several societies and associations specializing in working with this sector participated in the workshop.

Public and private universities as well as public and private companies also participated in the development of the program.

Thirty families of Special Olympics competitors also participated in the workshop, which focused on developing the relationship between the competitors and their families, as well as the volunteer’s role in the success of the sports and social programs.

The workshop kicked off on June 2, 2009, at the Olympic center, under the supervision of Nepal Fatone, the Middle East and North Africa International Special Olympics Initiative Manager, who was impressed by the participants’ interaction ever since the establishment of the new Board of Directors, headed by Faris al-Sanabani.

On the workshop’s final day, Faris al-Sanabani, Tariq Mohamed Abdullah Saleh, Mohammed al-Ahjuri, the Olympic Committee General Secretary, Nepal Fatone, the workshop lecturer as well as Captain Abdulsatar al-Hamdani, the regional Special Olympics Manager, attended to honor the workshop’s participants by offering them attendance certificates. Nepal Fatone addressed the participants, thanking all of them for their efforts in this course of the national program.

Mohammed al-Ahjuri, the General Olympic Committee Secretary, gave a speech in which he spoke about the importance of the volunteer work to help these competitors in sports and social activities and to help them to achieve the goals which they aspire to.

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The participants in the conference are honored for their contributions to the Special Olympics and its cause.
Al-Sanabani, the Chairman of the Yemeni Olympic Committee, welcomed everyone in attendance at the beginning of his address and thanked all of the participants for volunteering to help this deprived group. He also thanked the lecturer for her efforts in developing the Yemeni program in all aspects.

He then announced the good news of Tariq’s offer to volunteer to serve the people with special needs at the Yemeni Special Olympics, which he used to support continuously in the previous period.

The celebration was concluded with Tariq’s address. He spoke of the advantages that volunteer work provides, calling all to join efforts to serve this group which needs everyone to help and to stand with them. Volunteering is a good indicator of the community’s attitude towards other’s concerns. He finally thanked all of those who are in charge of this initiative.