Catawba County volunteer leader honored with state-level award
Lisa Carroll of Claremont in Catawba County was named the 2017 Special Olympics North Carolina Coordinator of the Year, according to Keith L. Fishburne, president/CEO of Special Olympics North Carolina. Carroll received the award during the 2017 Special Olympics North Carolina Leadership Conference, held at Davidson College in Davidson on July 20, in recognition of her leadership of the local Special Olympics program in Catawba County.
As part of her work to improve the Special Olympics program in Catawba County, Carroll has placed a strong emphasis on developing a committee of volunteers focused on fundraising, volunteer management, athlete recruitment, sports and coaching.
In addition, she has increased the number of sports offered in Catawba County with the addition of Unified cheerleading and equestrian. Additionally, the tennis, soccer and basketball programs have expanded under Carroll’s leadership. She has developed a plan to recruit new Hispanic athletes thanks to assistance from her co-coordinator, Irene Gomez. Carroll also developed a thorough fundraising plan, including recruiting 20 new corporate sponsors and hosting a large Cross-fit fundraiser, raising nearly $30,000 in 2016.
About Special Olympics North Carolina
Special Olympics North Carolina offers year-round sports training and competition for nearly 40,000 children and adults with intellectual disabilities. These athletes inspire greatness through their success and provide motivation to the thousands of coaches, sports officials, local program committee members and event organizers involved in Special Olympics statewide. SONC offers Olympic-type competition in 19 sports on local and state levels as well as health and wellness initiatives to improve the health status and increase access to community health resources for individuals with intellectual disabilities. Youth become agents of change through Unified Champion Schools, an education and sports based program created by Special Olympics to build an inclusive environment among youth with and without intellectual disabilities as well as empower them to become youth leaders and create change in their community. Visit Special Olympics North Carolina at www.specialolympicsnc.com. Engage with us on http://twitter.com/sonc_beafan
