POWERGRAMS

11 SPECIAL OLYMPICS HOLDS SPECIAL PLACE For many disabled children and young adults across Alabama, the Special Olympics offers fun and a rare chance to highlight athletic skills. The games have kept Michelle Anderson and other members of the Alabama Power Service Organization (APSO) busy in spring and summer – so much so, that volunteers gave 520 hours of their personal time to enhance these programs throughout the state. For several years, Anderson and Southeast/ Farley APSO members have helped with the Special Olympics for Coffee, Dale and Geneva counties. About 150 children took part in the April games, representing Enterprise, Daleville, Ozark and Geneva city schools, along with the Merle Wallace Purvis and Coffee County training centers. Before the event at Enterprise High School, Anderson bought bottled water – a gift from APSO – and loaded the cases in the back of her Toyota Tundra. "You'd be surprised at how much $150 in water looks like," she said with a laugh. Anderson joined Manny Andino, Whitney Baxter, Ginger Dean, Trent Dillard, Brooke Goff, Andrew Hamm, Chere Johnson and Regina Roney in cheering for the athletes while handing drinks to participants and spectators at Enterprise High School. Children competed in the standing long jump, relays, runs, walks and wheelchair races. APSO members took the field with athletes, Western APSO members cheered on Oak Hill students at Tuscaloosa Special Olympics. Photos by Adam Tipps

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