Special Olympics soccer

OLD TOWN – Special Olympics athletes participated Wednesday in the annual Central Maine Soccer Tournament at Old Town-Orono YMCA.

The event, directed by Ian Frank of Gorham, consisted of Special Olympics athletes from the area competing in 5-a-Side Team games and in soccer skills.

Some 125 Special Olympics athletes made up the 10 teams participating. The teams this year were: Bangor, Brewer, Old Town, Rockland, Bar Harbor, Charleston, Hallowell and several individual athletes competing in skills competitions. The tournament was expecting 96 athletes in team play and 29 total in skills competitions.

Special Olympics is a year-round athletic training and competition program for people with intellectual disabilities of all ages. In Maine, there are more than 2,500 athletes who participate in the program.

Special Olympics Maine offers 28 Olympic-style sports.

The athletes’ oath is “Let me win, but if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt.”

The Special Olympics Maine Southern Maine Soccer Tournament will take place 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 4, at Gorham High School.

The Northern Maine tournament was held earlier, in Presque Isle.

For info, call 879-0489.

Basketball league meeting

HAMPDEN – The Eastern Maine Basketball League will hold its meeting for the 2008-09 season at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 7, at the Hampden town office.

Those interested in playing on third- and fourth-grade, fifth- and sixth-grade, or seventh- and eighth-grade boys or girls teams should attend the meeting. For information, call Chris Caldwell at 848-2484.

Friday Fun Night

OLD TOWN – The Old Town-Orono YMCA will hold Friday Fun Night 8-10:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 3, at the Y. The event is geared for children age 11-14. Activities include swimming, skate park, foam pit, Guitar Hero, climbing wall. For more information, call 827-6111.

Benefit golf tournament

NEWPORT – The second annual MacGyver Golf Scramble, presented by Davis Egg Farm, family and friends, is set for a 9 a.m. shotgun start on Saturday, Oct. 4, at the J.W. Parks Golf Course in Pittsfield.

The event benefits Isiah Washburn of Plymouth, who has Hurler syndrome, a rare disease. The child is being treated at Duke University Medical Center.

Entry fee is $200 per team and includes two golf carts, continental breakfast, coffee, a registration gift package and a luncheon after the tournament. Rain date is Oct. 12.

Hole sponsorship and team entry fee is $300; hole sponsorship is $150; and gold cart sponsorship is $25.

Prizes will be awarded and a silent auction conducted.

Those who wish may make a donation by sending a check made out to The Isiah Fund to: Davis Egg Farms, P.O. Box 127, Newport 04953. For more information or to donate an item for the silent auction, call Sherry Davis at 852-1281, Mike Tozier at 416-8600 or Chris Ireland at 341-1420.

More information also is available at www.isiahsangels.org.

Tryouts rescheduled

HERMON – Blackbear United tryouts have been re-scheduled for Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 4-5.

Tryouts will be held at Hermon Elementary School:

Saturday, Oct. 4

. U10, U11 and U12 boys and girls, 3-4:15 p.m.

. U13 and U14 boys and girls, 4:30-5:45 p.m.

Sunday, Sept. 5

. U15 girls and U16 boys (U15/16 boys combined), 1-2:30 p.m.

. U18 girls (U16 ages and up), 2-3:30 p.m.

. U17 boys and U18 boys, 2:30-4 p.m.

For more information, call Blackbear United Football Club at 862-4154, ext. 2.

Youth hockey programs

BREWER – Brewer Youth Hockey Learn to Skate or Learn to Play programs begin at 12:20 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 26, at Penobscot Ice Arena.

The cost for 16 weeks is $99. The programs are open to boys and girls age 3 to 12. For more information and to register, visit www.brewerhockey.org or call Mike Pellegrino at 989-6655.

Special Olympics cookout

HERMON – In the middle of summer you don’t expect to see the parking lot full at Hermon Mountain. Did they make snow and open the season early?

No, it was time for the Penobscot-area Special Olympics cookout, complete with music, grills, hotdogs, potato chips, salad and soda pop.

It was the first time the event was held at Hermon Mountain. A DJ provided music and participants had fun dancing.

There were no medals or prizes other than the reward of the good old red-skinned hotdog, and friends seeing friends.

“Don’t get me wrong,” one athlete said, “awards are nice, but it is nicer to see my teammates.”

Organizers extend their gratitude to the owners of the Hermon Mountain facility for donating its use, and to families, volunteers, board members and staff who helped with the event.

For info about the organization’s activities, visit www.mainespecialolympics.groups.homepagenow.com.