2016 Northern California Special Olympics

Between June 24 and 26, Tuolumne County Special Olympians will be participating in the 2016 Northern California Summer Games, which will be held on the campus of U.C. Davis.
More than 1,000 Special Olympians will descend on U.C. Davis this year to compete in the 2016 Special Olympics Northern California Summer Games. Accompanying the athletes and cheering them on will be over 300 of their volunteer coaches. After weeks of training and participating at qualifying competitions, the athletes will compete in aquatics, bocce ball, tennis, as well as track and field, in state of the art collegiate athletic facilities on the U.C. Davis campus.
The Summer Games are the culminating competition for the spring sports season, and is one of the largest Special Olympics sporting competitions in Northern California. The minimum age of the competitors is eight years of age and there is no age limit (cap). Athletes have varying ability levels and are put into divisions to compete against athletes of the same ability level. Over 1,200 volunteers will be on hand to fill a variety of volunteer positions over the course of the event.
On Saturday, 4 June 2016, members of the Sonora Police Department participated in the Second Annual Tuolumne County Special Olympics Torch Run, which was held in downtown Sonora. An important part of the Summer Games is the running of the Special Olympics Torch, the “Flame of Hope” prior to the start of the Games. The Flame of Hope is relayed through Northern California, escorted by various law enforcement personnel, ending at the U.C.Davis campus. Special thanks to CHP Officer Nick Norton of the Jamestown CHP Office for helping organize this year’s outstanding local event!
Participating from the Sonora Police Department this year were Records Supervisor Debbie Dills, Community Service Officer Joel Battle, plus Chief Mark Stinson. Chief Stinson was recognized as the top individual fundraiser, and the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, Sierra Conservation Center, was recognized as the top agency fundraiser for the event.
The staff of the Sonora Police Department would like to wish all our Tuolumne County athletes the best in the upcoming Summer Games.