The Platte County Sheriff's Office participates in and supports the Special Olympics of Missouri. Our annual fund raising efforts are coordinated by Sergeant Greg Crader.

What are the Special Olympics of Missouri?

The following is taken from the Spring 2001 newsletter and is the message from Mark Musso, President -- Special Olympics Missouri.

"Recently, (April 2001) in the midst of the Special Olympics World Winter Games in Alaska, the U.S. Senate Committee on Appropriations met to hear reports from various speakers in the fields of mental retardation, healthcare, and physical fitness. The topic was the health status and needs of individuals with mental retardation, and the report findings were astonishing.

Even Arnold Schwarzenegger, film star and former member of the President's Council on Physical fitness, testified. He said, 'the harsh statistics and data are sobering...people with mental retardation live an average of 10-20 years less that the general population. Individuals with mental retardation suffer from a wide range of chronic and acute diseases and conditions.'

The bottom line, from many of the speakers, was that individuals with mental retardation often receive inadequate basic healthcare that could easily add longevity and comfort to their lives.

The testimonies remind me of why Special Olympics is so important. Long after the medals are awarded and the crowds have gone away, our athletes enjoy the important benefits of physical fitness and conditioning. Any many take the motivation and pride that they feel on the field to improve other areas of their life.

That's why, for the next few years, Special Olympics Missouri will be on a mission to reach out to more and more individuals with mental retardation or other closely-related developmental disabilities. Our current 11,801 athletes represents only a small percentage of children and adults throughout the state who could benefit from our athletic training and sports program, and we are now unveiling a "Get Into It!" campaign to recruit 4,000 new athletes in the next 3 years.

We appreciate your continued support of SOMO and I hope that you can continue to be involved as we enter this very exciting time of outreach!"Photo of Platte County Deputies making Polar Plunge

Call or e-mail Sgt. Crader at 816-858-3408 to learn how you can help. T-Shirts are available as well, as assisting in sponsoring Sgt. Crader in the Polar Bear Plunge.

Become Involved as a volunteer, etc. contact The Special Olympics of Missouri. or Sgt. Greg Crader. Photos to the right show Sgt. Crader and his fellow deputies ready to make the Polar Bear Plunge to support the Platte County Sheriff's Office contribution to this program.