The 2008 Special Olympics North Carolina Fall Games concluded Nov. 9 in High Point, ending an exciting weekend of competition for nearly 1,000 athletes from 50 local programs across the state, according to Keith L. Fishburne, president/CEO of SONC.

Athletes competed in bocce, cycling, golf, roller skating and soccer.

To ensure fair competition, the athletes were placed in competition divisions based on age and ability level.

Gold, silver and bronze medals were awarded to the top three finishers in each division, followed by fourth through eighth place ribbons.

Athletes competing in the Fall Games represent the following counties/agencies: Alamance, Brunswick, Buncombe, Cabarrus, Caldwell, Caswell Center, Cherokee, Cleveland, Craven, Cumberland, Dare, Davidson, Davie, Durham, Forsyth, Gaston, Granville, Guilford/Greensboro, Guilford/High Point, Haywood, Henderson, Iredell, Jackson, Johnston, Jones, Lake Norman, Lee, Lincoln, McDowell, Mecklenburg, Moore, Murdoch Center, Nash, New Hanover, Onslow, Orange, Pasquotank/Camden, Person, Pitt, Randolph, Robeson, Rockingham, Rowan, Surry, Union, Wake, Watauga, Wayne, Wilkes and Yancey.

The SONC Fall Games kicked off with Opening Ceremonies at Southwest Guilford High School and included remarks from SONC President/CEO Keith L. Fishburne and SONC athlete Rob Powell of Buncombe County.

This was the third consecutive year High Point hosted the SONC Fall Games. 

"The city of High Point held a first-class competition for athletes from across the state," says Fishburne. "I want to congratulate all the athletes who competed and thank the hundreds of volunteers who made the Fall Games such a memorable event." 

SONC Fall Games sponsors include: High Point Convention & Visitors Bureau, High Point Parks & Recreation, High Point Community Foundation, High Point Regional Health System, WMAG Radio, BB&T, High Point Enterprise, Coca-Cola Bottling Company Consolidated, Furnitureland Rotary, R.K. Stewart & Son Inc., Panera Bread, Volvo Parts North America, Thomas Bus, Citi, Blue Ridge Companies, Akzo Nobel Foundation, Sealy, Forest Hills Presbyterian Church, American Express, VF Jeanswear, Banner Pharmaceutical, Norcross Family, LMI Builders, Inc., Hafele America, Jersey Mike's Subs, Coldwell Banker Triad Realtors and Hooters.

SONC statewide partners are: North Carolina Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics (International, National and Statewide); Duke University's Fuqua School of Business, Knights of Columbus and NC Department of Health and Human Services (Championship); Progress Energy, Civitan International and Credit Suisse (Gold); ABB, Wachovia, Macy's and Henry Wurst Inc. (Silver); Best Buy, NC State Employees Combined Campaign, Kerr Cares For Kids Foundation, NC National Guard, Procter & Gamble, US Airways, A Small Miracle, Inc., Akzo Nobel and Sheetz (Bronze); Coca-Cola Bottling Co. Consolodated, Tannenbaum Sternberger Foundation, Williams Mullen, Citi, Moore & Van Allen, PAETEC, Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina, Rotary Club of Clemmons, Coldwell Banker Howard Perry and Walston, American Express and Kids ‘n Community Foundation (Honorary Delegation).  

Special Olympics North Carolina offers year-round sports training and competition for more than 38,000 children and adults with intellectual disabilities, making it the second largest Special Olympics program in North America and seventh largest in the world in terms of athlete participation.

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 20 sports on local and state levels.