Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
By P.J. GLISSON
Bessemer — Grins galore served as hallmarks of joy at Saturday’s Upper Peninsula Golf and Bocce Tournaments, sponsored by Area 39 of the Special Olympics of Michigan.
Bessemer hosted both tournaments, with the bocce event held at Bluff Valley Park and the golf event held at Gogebic Country Club. Thunderstorms occurred early in the morning, but quickly cleared as the tournaments geared up.
SOMI’s Area 39 director Barb Siira, who is resigning this year after 25 years in her position, said 134 athletes were registered to compete in Saturday’s games, and nearly 100 additional people served as chaperones.
Siira’s area covers Gogebic and Ontonagon counties, but she said Saturday’s athletes came from a total of five SOMI areas throughout the U.P. She said they practice for eight weeks prior to the event.
Siira, who was based at the bocce ball tournament, had three quadrants of bocce ball courts set up in the park, which also features a tetherball pole and other playground equipment. Participants took turns playing while guided by volunteers stationed at each court.
According to Siira, 64 volunteers helped out Saturday, with many of them from Beacon Ambulance in Ironwood, the Ironwood JROTC program and Bessemer’s golf course.
Many volunteers at Special Olympics events are parents of participants. “That’s my daddy,” called one excited young man among a sea of his peers lining up for lunch.
Randy Forstrom, Beacon’s director of operations, was grilling hamburgers for the event.
“This is 16 years that we’ve been here,” he said of himself and his coworkers. He said they were cooking hamburgers, hot dogs and beans for the event.
Ken Zupan, also of Beacon, helped tournament participants to add pasta salad, melon, condiments and potato chips to their plates, while other Beacon staff offered the hot items.
Tournament participants were excited about the opportunity to play and commune with peers. Christine Hesselink of Sault Ste. Marie, was all smiles after her competition, offering high fives and declaring, “I did very good.”
Joe Cottenham of Ontonagon, said he and his brother, David, woke at 6 a.m. to attend the event. “We drove all the way from Ontonagon in a van,” he said. Joe, who was an avid cheerleader for his brother, said they originally were from Trout Creek.
The brothers competed against Brody Merrick and Sam Bradbury, both of Marquette, while JROTC volunteer Isaac Wonsey and his partner, Steve Richards of SOMI Area 36, helped to monitor each segment of the competition.
“I got soaked, but it was worth it,” said participant Alisha Hill of Wakefield regarding rain at the start of the day. She said it was a “long and tiring” day, but added she enjoyed “everything” about it.
“I think I did really good,” said Bob Cook of Wakefield, regarding his first round of bocce ball. He said he was relieved to end the second round due to being “too hot.”
According to Siira, Area 39 serves 195 total athletes in Gogebic and Ontonagon counties. She said other Upper Peninsula tournaments in winter games, basketball, swimming, track and field, softball and volleyball are sponsored throughout each year by other SOMI areas.
This is the 50th anniversary of the Special Olympics of Michigan, which started in 1968.
