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DAILY DIGEST - 10 July 2006
2006 Pan American Games for Deaf Youth opens at Gallaudet on August 1
By Don Tropp, director of media, Pan American Games for Deaf Youth
The opening ceremony for the 4th Pan American Games for Deaf Youth will take place on Tuesday, August 1, from 1-3 p.m. Entertainment will be provided by the Wild Zappers and Paul the Clown and is sponsored by the Gallaudet Student Body Government. Competition begins on Wednesday, August 2, and ends on Saturday, August 5. Track and field is 9 a.m.-noon and 7-9 p.m. everyday, and basketball is 1-7 p.m.
The Games will conclude with the closing ceremony on Saturday, August 5 after the championship games are played. An ice cream party, sponsored by HOVRS, for the athletes, Pan American committees and fans will follow. Last is the USA Deaf Basketball (USADB) qualifying trials and exhibition games, scheduled for 7:30 p.m.
President I. King Jordan recognized the importance of the Games: "We believe that events such as these promote international cooperation and goodwill among deaf people and our friends. Gallaudet is proud to be a part of an event that promotes an environment of cultural diversity."
If you would like to volunteer during the Games, please contact Jason Ruzicka at Jason.Ruzicka@gallaudet.edu. Lunch will be provided daily, and college students can earn community service credit.
Last, but not least, we want to recognize those who helped make the Games possible! Special thanks go to Gallaudet University, Birnbaum Interpreting Services (BIS), Sorenson Communications, Hamilton Relay, Inc., HOVRS, Eastern Athletic Association for the Deaf, i711, IP-Relay, Sprint Relay, Ben and Jerry Ice Cream and Chevy Chase Bank.
Note: Additional information on the Pan American Games for Deaf Youth was provided by Marcia Nowak, chair of the Games.
The Games are being organized by USADSF (USA Deaf Sports Federation) under auspices of PANAMDES (PanAmericano Deportes para Sortos). The first Pan American event was held in Venezuela in 2000, Mexico in 2002, Canada in 2004, and we were honored to have won the bid to hold in the United States this year. It was determined that Gallaudet would be an ideal location being the gateway to the United States through Washington, DC.
The Games, geared toward deaf and hard of hearing youths ages 10 - 15 from throughout North America, Central America, South America, and the Caribbean, will include two sports: track and field, and basketball.
As of now, five countries (out of 11) will participate in the Games; they are: Canada, Cuba, Mexico, Venezuela, and the United States.
The Games is an excellent way for all deaf and hard of hearing youths to gather and share cultural differences. Since sign language is pretty much universal, it is expected that these youth will not face much difficulty in communication.
The young athletes that do well in the Games can dream about participating in the Deaflympics, which is more competitive in that there are a larger number of athletes from different countries all over the world. No information is available as to the number of youths who have moved on to compete in the Deaflympics.
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