On October 19, about 200 supporters of Special Olympics Santa Barbara Region (SOSBR) came out for the 5th Annual Fired Up Dinner hosted by the S.B. County Firefighters and S.B. City Firefighters at the Carriage and Western Art Museum. The event raised funds for the SOSBR’s amazing year-round sports program for those with intellectual disabilities.
During the reception, guests mingled inside the museum and on the scenic grounds. Firefighters served drinks and food, Knights of Columbus members grilled tri-tip and chicken, and a host of local dignitaries visited with the crowd, including U.S. Congressmember Salud Carbajal, State Assemblymember Monique Limón, Police Chief Lori Luhnow, Sheriff Bill Brown, City Fire Chief Eric Nickel, CA Highway Patrol Captain Cindy Pontes, Councilmembers Meagan Harmon, Eric Friedman, Oscar Gutierrez, Jason Dominguez, and Randy Rowse, and County Supervisors Gregg Hart and Das Williams. About 20 dedicated firefighters whose fire watch duties prevented their attendance came straight from duty to clean up afterward.
Development Director Gina Carbajal welcomed guests and thanked the multitude of supporters in the City and County Fire Departments and law enforcement agencies along with all the other guests who enable Special Olympics to operate. Special Olympics Southern CA (SOSC) President and CEO Bill Shumard had special praise for the volunteer coaches who are “the people who make it happen.” He related that the athletes learn how to win, lose, communicate, and make friends and noted further that Special Olympics athletes are twice as likely to have a job as others with intellectual disabilities. Shumard reminded guests that Special Olympics is not just about sports, but is also about changing the culture, and that the organization is leading the way regarding inclusion, acceptance, and diversity.