WHALERS AMONG "SUPERSTAR" PARTICIPANTS FOR SPECIAL OLYMPICS

Players compete in 30th Anniversary of Special Olympics SuperStars event

On a recent Sunday afternoon, Plymouth Whalers Tyler J. Brown (Westland), Josh Bemis (Clarkston), Kaine Geldart, and Tyler G. Brown could have found a number of things to do – watch the Red Wings or Tigers, maybe hit the golf course, or reconnect with their parents.

Current Whalers Tyler G. Brown, Josh Bemis, Tyler J. Brown, and Kaine Geldart get a photo with the first overall pick in franchise history, Pat Peake, who is the only player to have his number, 14, retired by the team.

Instead, the four Plymouth Whalers – along with mascot Shooter, Whaler Alum Pat Peake and a host of other local celebrities – participated in the Special Olympics of Michigan’s 30th Anniversary SuperStars event, held on April 20 at the Michigan State Fair Grounds.

Besides the Whalers, celebrities from the Detroit Lions, Detroit Lions Alumni, Detroit Red Wings Alumni, Oakland County Sheriffs Department, WJLB 98-FM, WYCD 99.5 FM, Troy Fire Department, FOP 102, the Water Warriors and other organizations made the event a fun afternoon for all involved. Alicia Jaros (Miss Wayne County), Christine Hudson (Miss Michigan Galaxy) and Michelle Butler (Mrs. Macomb County) also lent support.

“We’re grateful for all of support we get from the community,” said Michael Canale, Special Olympics Michigan’s Public Relations Coordinator. “And with the help of all of these celebrities, this experience is something our athletes will never forget.

“We are also fortunate to raise $27,000 last year and hope to beat that figure this year.”

The celebrities were split into teams with the athletes and all participated in a series of competitions. The Obstacles Skills involved running through hula hoops, putting three golf balls into a cylinder and then running through an obstacle course. Athletes then participated in the Scooter Relay – riding a skateboard (sitting backward or forward, or on your stomach) and completed the afternoon with the Relay/Puzzle.

(Above) TG Brown takes a photo with his group after the Team Relay Event. (Below) The boys compete in the jumpstick event.

Tyler G. Brown’s team won the Relay Event, while Bemis contributed to his team’s victory in the Obstacle Skills.

The Whalers as a group did well in the Celebrity Jumpstick Competition, with Geldart and Tyler J. Brown being among the final four athletes eliminated from the event, run by retired Detroit Lions offensive tackle Rich Strenger.

Speaking of Lions, current Detroit quarterback Drew Stanton enjoyed himself, interacting easily with the athletes and supporters alike.

“This is an opportunity to give back,” Stanton said. “The event is special to me because I’m from this community. Any time you have the opportunity to come out here and effect people’s lives in a positive manner, you want to take that opportunity. So I try to do that every chance I get.”

Stanton has a history of giving back to the community, going back to his days at Michigan State and Farmington Hills Harrison. Stanton was asked about the origins of his involvement with charitable events.

“It’s a multitude of things, but it predominantly goes back to my parents (Gaylord and Christine),” Stanton said. “They taught me the importance of giving back, be thankful of what you have, spread the wealth and have a positive effect of other people’s lives.”

WXYZ meteorologist Dave Rexroth took a breather from predicting the weather and was prominent during to the event.

Tyler J. Brown works with his team on completing a puzzle.

“I’ve been doing this for eight years,” Rexroth said. “It’s a lot of fun and I’ve gotten to know a lot of these athletes during that time. It’s a great group of people to be involved with. It’s nice to see the love and the caring that goes around, not just for the athletes, but for the people that support them.”

Rexroth is a veteran of the Special Olympics.

“I’ve always had a soft spot in my heart for the some of the folks here,” Rexroth explained. “When my wife and I started having children, you think about different possibilities. This is one of the groups that I always wanted to be a part of. This event has always been well put together and is a lot of fun.”

There were no losers in this Sunday afternoon.  For more information about how you can get involved with Special Olympics, please go online to www.somi.org.