This time I’m afraid it’s for real. Keys will be handed in and lights will be turned off. One of the most influential and revered persons in the long history of SOSD will walk out the door for the last time.

Imagine all the lives she has touched over the past 34 years and 7 days. Think of all the laughs she has shared with you, the joy she has felt over your games won and even those lost. “Brave in the attempt” wasn’t just words on a page to her; she saw it as a triumph over discrimination and disability. She poured her heart and soul into making sure you had the best of everything at your events. She cared about you and always will.

Everyone throughout our SOSD family knows Mel. She is the face of the organization. Over the years, we’ve spent a lot of time together. I remember in the early days, everywhere she went it was “Hi, Mel” followed by a conversation. After I had been with SOSD for a few years, people started getting used to me being around. As always, wherever she went it was still “Hi, Mel” but something really special started happening, “Hi, Mel” was followed by “Hi, other Mel.” I had made it. I was established. I was the “Other Mel” and I was elated. It has been the pleasure of my life to have spent the past 22 years working with you, but let’s be honest, a lot of it felt more like playing than work. And as the years melt away, there will certainly be more “Other Mel’s”, but there will never be another you.

-Johna

After 34 years, Mel Frosch will spend her last day at SOSD on August 30, 2024. Please join us for an Open House at the Unify Center on August 28th from 4p – 7p

to celebrate. If you are unable to attend, please send your well-wishes to mfrosch@sosd.org or

Mel Frosch

800 E. I-90 Lane

Sioux Falls, SD 57104

Hello Special Olympics South Dakota,

My name is Cody Carlson, and I am excited to get started as Sport Director / SE Area. My sports background is a mixture of baseball, wrestling and football, but I have a love for all physical activity/sports. I played college baseball at South Dakota State where I received a physical education degree and fell in love with the east side of South Dakota. Soon after graduating college, I moved back to the Black Hills area where I grew up and spent one year as an elementary physical education teacher. I am excited to start my new journey!

Special Olympics South Dakota has a history of being an amazing organization helping many athletes across the state of South Dakota. I am excited to be joining the team and look forward to helping Special Olympics South Dakota continue to grow!!

Cody Carlson

BURGER KING CONTINUES ITS SUPPORT OF SOSD

From August 15th – 31st, Burger King restaurants across the state will sell $1 icons to raise funds for the athletes of Special Olympics South Dakota.

Please visit your local Burger King restaurants and show your support for SOSD.

A huge thank you to Burger King employees and management for going the extra mile for us.

The Center for Disabilities Run, Walk & Roll is a race open to people of all ages and abilities. Their goal is to promote health and wellness for all people in South Dakota, and have fun while doing it! This event takes place in Sioux Falls on September 14th. Click for details.

Athletes and Family Members are

Cordially Invited to the

Greatest Show on H2O

Catfish Bay’s Greatest Show on H2O is one of the top summer attractions in Sioux Falls. Come to a show and you will see amazing water skiing tricks, stunts and a funny family friendly stage show. The show is performed by the Catfish Bay Water Ski Team and consists of over 30 water ski performers, boat drivers, actors, sound technicians and more. Each show lasts between an hour and forty-five minutes to two hours

What: FREE admission to Catfish Bay Water Ski Park for athletes and family members

When: Friday, August 16

Time: 7:00pm

Other: Identify yourself as a Special Olympics South Dakota Athlete at the ticketing booth. Please wear your Special Olympics gear.

Pampered Chef is a company that sells kitchen tools, food products, and cookbooks to help people prepare food at home.

During the month of August, Pampered Chef is donating 30% of sales we help generate.

Click Here to start shopping! Your orders will be mailed directly to you.

SPORTS

We have many volunteer positions to fill. No experience is required.

Southeast Bocce

August 18

McCart Fields, Sioux Falls

Click to Volunteer

Gaming for Inclusion is back! Registration is now open for all Special Olympics athletes and Unified partners to participate. The deadline for registration is Wednesday, September 4 at 3p MT / 4p CT

This year’s theme, GFI_24: Become Legend, not only speaks to the skill of our athletes, but invites people from all backgrounds to become legendary by choosing to include.

Athletes and Unified partners will compete in a Unified Rocket League tournament on Saturday, September 14. The winners of this tournament will have the chance to compete in the Celebrity Showcase in Forza Motorsport on Saturday, September 21. These two events will be recorded and then broadcast later in October (exact date TBC).

Eligibility:

· Participation is only available to Special Olympics athletes and Unified partners.

· All participants must be 15 years or older on the day of the athlete tournament.

· Participants must have access to an Xbox console or a Gaming PC as well as access to high-speed internet.

Participant questions: Email gamingforinclusion@specialolympics.org.

HEALTH & FITNESS

TIP OF THE WEEK: TURNING 50? GO GET A SHINGLES VACCINE

Shingles is sneaky. It’s caused by the same virus as chickenpox which lays dormant for decades in the body, ready to pounce.

In the U.S., 1 in 3 people will get shingles, usually after age 50, with the risk of complications climbing sharply after age 60. Since the risk rises with age, half of those who live to 85 will experience at least one episode.

Shingles’ most common symptom is an angry, blistering rash. And about 10 to 18 percent of people who develop that rash will also experience a complication known as post-herpetic neuralgia, a condition that affects the nerve fibers and skin, causing burning, and sometimes incapacitating, pain that can last for months (or even years) after the rash disappears.

“Shingles rarely kills you,” says William Schaffner, M.D., a professor of preventive

medicine and infectious diseases at the Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee. “But it can make you wish you were dead.”

So if you’re over 50, do yourself a favor and get your Shingles vaccine.

IN OTHER NEWS

START YOUR SPECIAL OLYMPICS JOURNEY HERE

If you are new to Special Olympics South Dakota and looking for a Delegation,

or if you are interested in changing your Delegation, Click Here to get started!

This link can also be found on the SOSD website.

Join us for fun and community

3•21 Fun & Friends is a social group for families with young children, ages 0-10, who have a disability in the Sioux Falls area. Join our monthly meetups in the Special Olympics South Dakota Unify Center to socialize, play, and build a community. These meet-ups will be free of cost, in a setting where children can play with their peers and parents can connect. If you are reading this and wondering if this group is for you, it is! We hope you’ll come to our next meet-up.

Check us out at www.321FunandFriends.org or find us on Facebook!