Care Managers volunteer at the Special Olympics New York Fall Invitational

How do you spend a fall Saturday if you are a Care Manager with ACANY? By volunteering your time at the Special Olympics New York. Care Managers and staff from ACANY committed their time to make the day a success for Member athletes and those in the IDD community competing in several Special Olympics New York Invitational on October 14 on Randalls Island. Alexa Arias, Assistant Director for Brooklyn/Queens, Marlyn Telfort, Assistant Director for the Metro Region, and Mainawatie Singh, Regional Director for the Metro Region (pictured above), were there to volunteer. The Member Outreach team, including Jenny Young, Zak Latif, and Christine Bryant, shared health and wellness information.

Volunteering with Bocce

Mainawatie Singh helped with the bocce event, which was new to her as a sport. “Members who participated really enjoyed the event. I think it is a great way for us as an organization to have that one-on-one with the Members we support in extracurricular activities they enjoy.”

Alexa Arias also volunteered with bocce. “We didn’t know a thing about bocce but were paired off with more experienced volunteers from different organizations that taught us as we went. We were also able to network with Care Managers in our regions, and, believe it or not; we built a great rapport with a biker group who shared they are always looking for volunteer opportunities with the IDD population. It was a great experience, despite the rain. I look forward to participating in the future!”

Special Olympics tradition

ACANY Care Managers and staff have been assisting with Special Olympics events for the past two years. This year was special since ACANY became a Special Olympics New York partner and sponsored the October Invitational for its Members.

Pam Rice, Vice President of Member Relations, says, “We are excited to offer activities that are enjoyable and also have a positive impact on our Member’s health and well-being. We encourage Members to stay active since being active makes you feel more confident. Partnering with Special Olympics New York is our way of telling our Members that your well-being is really important to us, and we’re here to support your health.”

Athlete shows his appreciation to Care Managers

Matt Schuster, a Special Olympics athlete, expressed his appreciation for ACANY’s involvement in a letter of thanks. “We appreciate you coming out to support and cheer us on. Thanks to amazing friends like you, our athletes can have the best opportunities to showcase their skills.”

That’s how you’d spend a fall Saturday because, as an ACANY Care Manager, you care.