Show Support: Help make basketball tourney special

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Stacia Zachary
  • Team Eglin Public Affairs
EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. --  Athletes from the Florida Special Olympics will gather at Eglin Feb. 6 and 7 for the 2009 Northwest Sectional basketball tournament. The guest speaker for the basketball tournament is Northwest Florida State College Women's Basketball coach Bart Walker. 

Tournaments will be held at the Eglin Main Gym and Addie Lewis Middle School gymnasium in Valparaiso, Fla. An opening ceremony begins Feb. 6 at 1 p.m. at the Eglin Main gym. The actual competition afterward at 2:30 p.m. and Saturday from 8 a.m. to noon. 

This is the 25th year Eglin and the Valparaiso community have combined to host the Special Olympics event. The Company Grade Officer Council is sponsoring this year's event and will host more than 250 athletes and coaches from Okaloosa, Walton, Jackson, Gadsden, Leon, Hamilton, Columbia, Escambia and Taylor.

One hundred volunteers are needed to help set up the event and run the races.  Supporters are also needed to cheer on the athletes are needed for both days of the event. To volunteer for the event, contact Capt. Ana Figueroa through e-mail at ana.figueroa@eglin.af.mil and list your name, assigned unit, duty phone number and date and time you would like to volunteer.