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Letter: Motionball fundraiser lifts Special Olympians on high

Beyond the fun and humour, this young soul was blessed by the experience and all the respect she received at

To the editor:

Despite the cold and wet weather conditions, your community spirit toward this great cause unrelentingly sparkled through your radiant smiles and created not only a very memorable day of raising fund for the Special Olympics, but also an incredible experience for our daughter, who participated as one of the Special Olympic athletes.

Our family was there to watch a touch football game where our daughter was a member of one team. What I saw will forever remind me the greatness of human spirits and how powerful kindness and compassion can change the world around us.

Our daughter Shannon was in a blue team playing football against a yellow team. With a football in her hands, she began running toward the finish line. Undoubtedly her blue teammates were blocking for her. The yellow team was falling, sliding and tumbling around her while she was being shielded and guarded by her own team. Shannon, with one goal in her mind, ran confidently toward the finished line in the midst of the apparent obstacles and had a triumphant touchdown.

Our sunshine’s face was instantly glowing. The cheering and the high-fives afterward made her feel like a super star.

Beyond the fun and humour, this young soul was amazingly blessed by the experience and all the encouragement and respect that she received throughout the entire day. While being humoured to tears, I was completely overwhelmed by your kindness and team spirit to create such a beautiful day for her and the other athletes.

The Motionball fundraising event [presented June 11 by Marathon of Sport Kelowna and Interior Savings Credit Union, which raised $70,000] has done much more than just raising funds. It has positively impacted our daughter and the other athletes in ways no money can ever measure.

I sincerely thank all of you for supporting the Special Olympics. The Special Olympics has incredibly supported many Special Olympians over the years. Your financial support has created opportunities otherwise not possible for the Special Olympic athletes.

Fiona Lindquist, Kelowna