The Blackhawks invited Alia Zander, who is a Special Olympics Illinois Young Professional Board member in Chicago, to Shoot the Puck at one of their games. She was shooting on behalf of Special Olympics Illinois and while she was not able to put the puck in the net, she did make a big score for Special Olympics Illinois.
Alia said, “I was super nervous and excited to shoot the puck at the Blackhawks game. One of the ways I tried to stay cool and collected was repeating the Special Olympics Oath in my head, “Let me win. But if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt.” I was relieved when I got a quick lesson on how to actually shoot a hockey puck. While I didn’t make my shot (I was so close!), it was a lot of fun hearing the crowd’s reaction and representing Special Olympics. I’m so grateful Special Olympics Illinois chose me to represent our cause and gave me such a memorable opportunity.”
“Special Olympics has been a part of my life as long as I can remember. My Uncle Jeff used to compete in Special Olympics and I was his biggest fans. In college I coached SO, and now I’m a member of the Special Olympics Young Professionals Board. I really enjoy the fundraising we do. Our events are a blast and they bring together a great group of people supporting the same goal – raising funds for Special Olympics athletes. I think everyone on the board would agree that our favorite events are the ones where we get to spend time with the athletes and see the impact of our fundraising efforts.”
Thank you to the Blackhawks for this great opportunity to promote our cause and to Alia for all the hard work she does on behalf of our athletes as part of the YPB board. The Young Professionals Board is a group of like-minded individuals in Chicago who are dedicated to raising community awareness of Special Olympics programs through events, volunteer work, and fundraising efforts. They are always looking for more enthusiastic individuals to join their board. For more information on YPB and how to sign up visit: https://www.soill.org/chicagoypb/.