Special Olympics: Our Associates in Action
We’re honored to share that our June charitable focus of the Special Olympics was an overwhelming success – and it’s all thanks to our amazing Carrington Volunteers! Carrington Associates came out in force to show their company pride and support the summer Special Olympic Games at California State University in Long Beach, CA, and the Connecticut Special Olympics Summer Games at Southern Connecticut State University in Hamden, CT. Both events took place the weekend of June 11th and 12th.
Carrington Associates in Southern California helped staff the company booth at the Long Beach summer games, offering their support to these gifted and talented athletes, and cheered them on from the stands (for a special report from the Connecticut Special Olympics, see the CCF Spotlight).
“During the basketball game, a parent of one of the athletes thanked us for creating an environment in the athlete area where athletes could interact and have a normal experience,” said Danielle Washburn, SVP of Carrington Home Solutions. “The athletes had the opportunity to do things other kids are able to do every day – in a setting where they weren’t looked at as being different. To me, this is what life is about. The most rewarding times in my life have been when I’ve made a positive impact on the lives of others. That’s my purpose. These experiences are reminders to me of who I am and what my purpose is.”
Mario Ramos, who works in Loss Draft/Claims/Loan Administration for Carrington Mortgage Services, has been volunteering for the Special Olympics for the past four years, and says each year gets better and better. “The number of volunteers and athletes that visited the CMS booth on Saturday was awesome,” he said. “We tried to make it as fun and exciting as possible, and we all had a great time. Mario also shared that during the Games, a track athlete named Gary recognized him and came over to give him a hug. “Gary was an athlete my son, John, and I were buddied with three years ago,” he said. “We chaperoned him to all of his events and cheered him on. The fact that he remembered me after all this time and gave me that big hug made my day. That’s a moment that I’ll never forget.”
Soraya Powell, a Real Estate Sales Agent from Long Beach, says her time of volunteering at the Special Olympics was an amazing experience – and it meant more to her than just helping the athletes compete. “It was a great opportunity to experience the enthusiasm, joy and personal achievement of these athletes,” she said. “A few athletes participated in our Spin the Wheel event, and just watching their excitement and joy was gratifying. It affirmed that although they have their struggles, they’re able to achieve anything they put their minds to. It's hard to believe that just a few hours of volunteering can teach us such tolerance for others who are different, as well as to appreciate the differences that make us all unique.”
That’s a sentiment shared by Tracey McShane, Manager of Legal Services for Carrington Mortgage Holdings. Tracey says she loves volunteering with CCF, and told us the Special Olympics is her favorite volunteer event. “Not only do I believe it is important to volunteer, but knowing that what I do as a volunteer helps our athletes have the best experience they can have is a gift to me as well,” she says. “Social responsibility is often the driving force when it comes to volunteerism. Empathy and awareness simply come along with the territory. I can’t think of a better way to spend my time than to help others. It is life-changing.”
Life-changing. That’s the driving force behind everything CCF does. We hope Carrington Associates will continue to lend their time, support and heart to those in need. Together, we are making a difference.
Thanks to Carrington volunteers, our June charitable focus, Special Olympics, was an overwhelming success.
Fans in the Stands greeted and cheered on Special Olympics athletes.
The Carrington/CCF booth featured plenty of Carrington- and CCF-branded swag.
Athletes tried their luck with our Spin the Wheel game.
Disney favorites were on hand to greet fans and athletes.
Carrington- and CCF-branded gear was a hit with the Special Olympics athletes.
On the field and in the stands, Carrington volunteers were there to cheer on the athletes.