By SCOTT MCKIE B.P.
ONE FEATHER STAFF
As organizations nationwide take precautions to curb the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19), Special Olympics North Carolina (SONC) has cancelled all events and practices through May 15. This cancellation includes the Far West Spring Games that were set to be hosted next month in Cherokee.
“We greatly appreciate everyone’s patience, as we, like every other organization in the country, continue to monitor the coronavirus situation and make difficult decisions about how to move forward while keeping the health and safety of everyone involved as a top priority,” Keith Fishburne, SONC president and chief executive officer, said in a statement on Friday, March 13.
He added, “We are all extremely disappointed to be in a position where we cannot offer every opportunity possible to athletes across the state, but this decision is of course based on the current circumstances and again, with everyone’s health and well-being at the forefront. We will continue to be in communication with you over the coming weeks, and we look forward to resuming activities as soon as possible.”
Tony Wolfe, a member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, is a member of the SONC Board of Directors as well as the SONC Athlete Council. “I’m hoping we might be able to get a field day together later in the year,” said Wolfe in reacting to the SONC cancellations. “It can’t last forever. You have to look at the bright side. There’s always light at the end of the tunnel.”
Wolfe noted that SONC Board and Athlete Council meetings have also been suspended during this time.
“My father (Beloved Man Jerry Wolfe) always said, ‘you can’t quit. You hang in there and keep going.’”
