aine

An athletic event for those with developmental
disabilities makes its mark on participants.

SHELLI DORFMAN Editorial Assistant

BILL HANSEN Photographer

he athletic facilities of the D. Dan &
Betty Kahn Building of the Jewish
Community Center of Metropolitan
Detroit became a backdrop to the
wheelchair dash, obstacle course and football toss
at the Aug. 22 Hall bps Fame Games.
Some 138 athletes filled the pool, the gym and
the track as the 13th annual event took place in
West Bloomfield, providing recreational and ath-
letic experiences for youth and adults with devel-
opmental disabilities.
Participants from their early teens to those in
their 70s joined in the friendly, competitive atmos-
phere of the event that many had been waiting and
training for since last year's games.
Four months of preparation by Amy Seidman, JCC
director of special needs, culminated in the opening
ceremonies and Olympic-style procession of the ath-
letes, beginning the day of fun and camaraderie.
Sponsored by the Jewish Community Center and
the Michigan Jewish Sports Foundation, the event
included participants from throughout the commu-
nity. Many came from Jewish Association for
Residertial Care group homes as well as from the
Comniunity Living Centers in Farmington. Both
agencies have clients who participate in JCC special
needs programs throughout the year.
Although athletes signed up for events in advance of
the games, many made last-minute additions when
they saw the variety of events available. Seidman, famil-
iar with most of the clients from her year-round pro-
grams, then "matched them up according to ability"
Fay Stone, co-chair of the special needs commit-
tee with Joyce Weckstein, described the games as

arranged so that "the kids could move around and
participate in everything."
Her son, 18-year-old Jeffrey Stone, a member of t,
the swim team at Birmingham Groves High School, -)
has been a Hall of Fame Games swimmer for the
past six years. He found that "all the games were
fun," and next year he might even try playing bas-
ketball in addition to swimming. However, for
Jeffrey, the best part of being there was "to hang
around with friends."
His mother agreed, describing the social aspect of
the games as "something very special, a really posi-
tive part" of the experience.
The events yielded a first-, second- and third-
place ribbon winner, while every athlete took home
a participation medal.
The summer heat brought the games indoors, but
a lunchtime barbecue moved many outside for an
optional picnic.
Closing ceremonies marked the end of the day-
long sports events and the start of a formal dinner-
dance. Temple Shir Shalom's youth choir performed /
at the evening event.
Contributing to the planning and organization of
Seidman's project was games assistant Sharon Trosch.
She was in charge of coordinating the dinner-dance,
as well as helping with athletes and volunteer place-
ment. Thirty volunteers, many of them from the
Northwest Child Rescue Women, staffed the games.
The organization, founded by mothers looking to
provide programs and services for their special needs
children, holds a yearly bazaar, with proceeds going c
to fund year-round programming in the JCC special
needs department. Fl

Counter clockwise, from top:

Up on the winners' block are
Mark Goodman and Abigail Katchke.

Mark Goodman gives the football toss his all

Sylvia Alper, seated, _finds the friendly
sparring ofjohn Chris Ryal quite amusing.

First across the tape is Linda Civitella:

Bonnie Abelman hops through
the obstacle course.

8/27

12"betrolt JeWiSh News

