News & Media

USADSF Selects Benedict and Francini to Organize 2007 Winter Deaflympics

SIOUX FALLS, SD — November 1, 2003 — The USA Deaf Sports Federation is pleased to announce the selection of Dwight Benedict as the Chair of the 2007 Winter Deaflympic Games Organizing Committee and Geraldine Francini as Secretary General.

"The world can look forward to a truly outstanding Olympic-standard experience in 2007," said Dr. Bobbie Beth Scoggins, USADSF President.

Benedict brings experience from the past five Winter Deaflympics to his position, most notably as director of the U.S. team at the 1987 and 1991 Winter Deaflympics, and was vice-chair of the Deaf Way II Conference in Washington, D.C., which was attended by 10,000 from all over the world.

Benedict is a member of the USA Deaf Sports Federation, U.S. Deaf Ski and Snowboard Association, and U.S. Ski Coaches Association. He graduated from Indiana School for the Deaf and Gallaudet University. He currently lives in Maryland with his family and is Lease and Facilities Manager at Gallaudet University.

Said Benedict, "I have attended every Winter Deaflympics since 1987 and will work very hard to make Park City in 2007 the best Winter Deaflympics the world has ever seen!"

Francini served as an administrative assistant at both the 1991 Winter Deaflympics and the 1993 Summer Deaflympics. Her personal travels have taken her to all continents except for Antarctica. She has been an American Sign Language instructor for more than 25 years and is currently on the faculty at University of Utah in Salt Lake City, less than a half-hour from Park City.

One of Francini's goals is to "foster a stimulating atmosphere of deaf leadership and a magnetic kind of experience in the Utah deaf community," fully realizing that the locals will be the key to the event's success.

USADSF is affiliated with both the US Olympic Committee and the International Committee of Sports for the Deaf (now renamed to "DEAFLYMPICS"). For information on the USA Deaf Sports Federation, please visit www.usdeafsports.org. For information on the Deaflympics, please visit www.deaflympics.com.