Join Team Special Olympics Georgia (SOGA) by sponsoring a Special Olympics Georgia athlete on BRAG!

Team Special Olympics Georgia (SOGA) is a group of Special Olympics athletes, their coaches and their supporters participating in BRAG. This year, approximately 15 Special Olympics Georgia athletes will be participating in BRAG.

With your support, these athletes can continue to participate in BRAG at no cost to them or their families. By gathering support from your family, friends, co-workers and neighbors, you can help sponsor the cyclists of Special Olympics Georgia.

Riders who collect at least $100 by May 9, 2009 will become official members of the 2008 Team SOGA. Team SOGA members will receive: a Team SOGA t-shirt, admittance to the Team SOGA reception on BRAG and the appreciation of the Special Olympics cyclists.

To make a donation, please contact Andrea Mosley at 770-414-9390 ext. 116 or 1-800-866-4400 ext. 116 or andrea.mosley@specialolympicsga.org. You may also sponsor a Special Olympics athlete on the registration form when you register for BRAG .

You can also make donations online or create your own sponsor page by visiting www.firstgiving.com/BRAG09. Please contact Leslie Anderson with any questions.

Spotlight on SOGA

The days are getting warmer and daylight savings is almost upon us.   It must be time for the DeKalb Team SOGA to begin their Monday night training at Stone Mountain for this year’s BRAG!  Coach Lee Tidmore will be joined by his hardy road warriors Patrick Leithhead, Bill Greene, Nigal Napper, and Bryan Partee in their endless laps around the mountain as they once again work out the winter cob webs.  It’s time to begin getting back in shape for this year’s ride across Georgia! 
In Macon, Coach Cindy Stokes Stevens will begin training with the crew from Macon including Andre Johnson, Troy Singleton, and Bill Williams.  Those guys have been riding BRAG almost since the earth was created.  I became a part of Team SOGA in 2001 when the original SOGA Coach, Dan Evatt from AADD, invited me to join him and the Macon crew in Rockmart.  I was hooked!  
Over the years, our team has grown to include a dedicated support team including our SOGA Sag Head, Gretel Tidmore and our super equipment wrangler and Sag driver Bob Farmer.  Last year Cindy found us a new equipment wrangler and SAG driver, David Stevens.  Knowing before he even joined us on the ride that he would be the perfect complement to our support team, Cindy married him to lock him in! 
Sometimes we are lucky enough to have others join us.  Last year we added two riders from Just People in Roswell.  One year we even got to sag a tiny, orange, kitten that joined SOGA but couldn’t finish the ride on his rescuer’s bike.  Our team has been really lucky to have the help of lots of wonderful folks who have been in and out of our program.  Those folks have helped to make our team a wonderful success and though we see each other only sporadically throughout the year, we are truly a wonderful and caring team! 
Being a part of the BRAG adventure is important to our Special Olympians.  They love the camaraderie and helping the other riders or even watching Rosie’s towel venue.   Yes, we plan to bring our big orange pump for inflating the air mattresses but as always, be sure you say “when”!  We look forward to another safe and exciting BRAG but remember our motto, “What happens on BRAG, stays on BRAG!”

Lee Tidmore
Dekalb Special Olympics Cycling Coach