MARSHFIELD, MA, ISSUED MARCH 19, 2019…Road To Responsibility (RTR; http://roadtoresponsibility.org), one of the region’s largest and most successful non-profit organizations, is excited to celebrate 10 years of partnering with Special Olympics sports activities.
Road To Responsibility offers three programs affiliated with the Special Olympics – softball, basketball, and bowling. About 50 individuals participate in the sports; games and matches take place about twice a week. The basketball program culminates with a championship tournament later in March.
Many of Road To Responsibility’s employees also serve as volunteers for the group as coaches, organizers, and fans, and the organization encourages any interested members of the public who are interested in volunteering for a great cause to get involved as well. (Visit www.roadtoresponsibilty.org for more information.)
Road To Responsibility’s affiliation with Special Olympics goes back 10 years, when Kate Holmes and Dineen Caruso started a Special Olympics basketball team in 2008 named the “RTR Wildcats” (and a skills team named “RTR Junior Wildcats”). As the popularity grew the team expanded, and eventually RTR created a second team named the “RTR Ravens.” Initially the basketball teams practiced in a small elementary school gym and focused on learning the fundamentals of the game such as dribbling, passing, shooting, and rebounding. Eventually the team obtained court time at the University Sports Complex in Hanover through the generosity of the owner who had heard of RTR through a board member.
Over the years, the team has played many scrimmages and has traveled to various schools and universities including Curry College, Stonehill College, Assumption College, Tabor Academy, and University of Massachusetts-Amherst. The Wildcats won the gold in 2013 and in 2017, and the Ravens won the gold in 2016. Both teams were also nominated to play at the Boston Garden on March 6, 2012, and April 1, 2015, and the teams also enjoyed traveling to the Garden by limo and meeting some of the Boston Celtics!
Later, the RTR Wildcats developed a softball team, and over the years more than 40 athletes have participated in this program. The team works on fundamentals such as catching the ball, running the bases, hitting, and throwing the ball. The RTR Wildcats have played scrimmages against many local teams and in August the team annually travels to UMass to participate in the Special Olympics Softball tournament, where they won the gold in 2016.
RTR’s bowling team comprises of more than a dozen participants who bowl at local bowling alleys regularly during the season. The bowling coaches send their respective scores to Special Olympics where they are compared to other bowlers in Massachusetts, and they have consistently won gold through the years.
RTR also runs an over-40 competition during the fall season, with games including ring toss, corn-hole, shuffle board, and speed walking.
“The programs are really great for not only the individuals, but their families and loved ones as well,” said Christopher White, Ed.D., CEO of Road To Responsibility, Inc. “These events are fun activities and bring so much joy to everyone involved, and allow for more interaction with the community too. We are grateful to have the opportunity to be a part of this fantastic program.”
About Road To Responsibility, Inc.
Celebrating over 30 years of making lives better, Road To Responsibility, Inc. (RTR) was established in 1988 with the overarching belief that individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities deserve to have full, rich, and rewarding lives in the community, and therefore works to provide the means, the opportunity, and the support necessary to allow citizens with disabilities to take their place as productive members of the community. RTR offers residential, work/employment, day habilitation and other day supports to individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. RTR supports individuals with very diverse needs, including those with significant challenges who would otherwise go unserved if not for RTR. It succeeds where other organizations often fail, through the use of an integrated clinical behavioral approach. This model has proven successful and yielded positive results for the organization and the individuals served.
Road To Responsibility offers services to almost all the towns and communities throughout the South Shore and South Coast of Massachusetts, operates 48 residences as well as co-operative and supportive living apartments, and manages nine day-service locations that focus on education, employment, and community enrichment. Road To Responsibility’s main office is located at 1831 Ocean Street, Marshfield, MA. For more information, please visit www.roadtoresponsibility.org.
