Local Social & Recreational Activities
Special Olympics
Over the past 20 years, the Humble-Kingwood Special Olympics program has experienced steady growth. There are approximately 75 athletes practicing and competing in basketball, cycling, bocce, bowling, aquatics, equestrian, golf, table tennis, and tennis.
The newly formed Lake Houston Hurricanes Special Olympics Booster Club holds periodic meetings to make plans to partner with individuals and civic groups to sponsor several fundraisers each year. Anyone interested in supporting athletes in our community who have intellectual disabilities is welcome to attend and contribute as the group works to coordinate fundraising and expand opportunities to compete in sponsored sports. For information about the Lake Houston Hurricanes Special Olympics Programs or Booster Club, contact Susan Bulick at bulick@earthlink.net or Elaine Victory at esvictory@yahoo.com.
Click here to view and print the Lake Houston Hurricanes Booster Club Registration Form.
Contact information:
Head Coach –
Pat Zacharias – pzach@nctv.com – contact for information about registration, required medical forms, and/or volunteer opportunities
Bowling –
Wednesdays, 6:15 p.m. – 8:00 p.m., AMF Humble Bowl; contact Coach Margie Voss for more information – margievoss@hotmail.com
Equestrian –
Sunday afternoons November – May; contact Coach Susan Bulick for times and location – bulick@earthlink.net
Aquatics -
Contact Coach Susan Bulick for day, times and location – bulick@earthlink.net
Table Tennis –
Contact Coach Elaine Victory for day, times and location – esvictory@yahoo.com
Basketball –
Monday nights, November - March, Kingwood Park High School – contact Coach David Bubier for times – dbubier@cebridge.net
Cycling –
Saturday mornings — contact Coach Elaine Victory for times and location – esvictory@yahoo.com
Tennis –
Contact Coach Elaine Victory for day, time and location – esvictory@yahoo.com
Golf –
Contact Coach Elaine Victory for day, time and location – esvictory@yahoo.com
Anders VanBrackle, who attends Village Learning & Achievement Center’s Day Program, had the opportunity to compete in the 2007 Special Olympics World Summer games in Shanghai, the People’s Republic of China. Anders was one of 60 Special Olympic Texas athletes that were in attendance, and he did a wonderful job competing in the tennis events.
Special Friends Night Out at Lake Houston Family YMCA –
281-360-2500
Special Friends Night Out is a unique experience for “extra special friends” ages seven and older with special needs. Each person is paired up with a volunteer for the evening while they participate in many activities, including arts & crafts and sports. Refreshments are served. Plan to preregister at the YMCA no later than the Thursday before. Siblings of children with Special Needs are welcome to attend. Special Friends Night Out is held from 6:30 p.m. – 10:00 p.m. The cost is $5 per person/full service members & $10 per person/non-members. For more information about Special Friends Night Out, please contact Lake Houston Family YMCA at 281-360-2500 or send an email to Kathie Gentry at kathiegentry@cebridge.net.
Adolescent & Young Adult Dances at Lake Houston Family YMCA –
Special Friends Young Adolescent & Young Adult Dances
281-360-2500
The Lake Houston Family YMCA hosts a dance twice a year for young adults with special needs, ages 16 or older. Dancing, food and fellowship are in store for participants from 7:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m. For more information about Young Adult Dances, please contact Lake Houston Family YMCA at 281-360-2500 or send an email to Kathie Gentry at kathiegentry@cebridge.net.
ARC of Greater Houston Saturday Fun Days for Teens & Young Adults with Disabilities –
http://www.thearcofgreaterhouston.com/saturday.html
Karen Lin – 713-957-1600
Saturday Fun Day is an out-of-home, recreational daytime respite program for families of individuals, ages four to young adult, with a diagnosis of mental retardation, autism, or Pervasive Developmental Disorder, and their siblings. Saturday Fun Day is a program that meets one or two Saturdays a month from September to June, typically from 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. The program for the youngest age group is located in Southwest Houston. The pre-teen group is located in Cy-Fair, and the teen to young adult group is located in Kingwood. The drop-off & pick-up location in Kingwood is at Village Learning & Achievement Center.
This program provides recreational and educational activities with a 2:1 consumer/staff ratio unless 1:1 is necessary. This program providesthe parent/caregiver a temporary break from the demands of caring for an individual with disabilities. Participants benefit from the peer interaction and socialization while participating in community activities, gaining exposure to new experiences and opportunities for learning.
To participate in this program, the Saturday Fun Day application must be completed and faxed to 713-957-1699.
The application is at http://www.thearcofgreaterhouston.com/pdf/SFDApplication.pdf
Texas Adaptive Aquatics –
281-324-4653
This organization provides an adaptive water skiing program located in Huffman that allows people with physical and/or mental disabilities the opportunity to discover the thrill and excitement of water skiing, sailing, and kayaking.
Kingwood First Baptist Church Open Arms Ministry –
http://www.kingwoodfirst.org/ministries/open-arms
Peggy Kirkpatrick, 281-358-4266; Peggy Lockhart, 281-360-9429; Mary Ciura, 281-413-7389
Sunday school lesson – 10:15 a.m. – 11:15 a.m.; extended session – 11:15 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Second Baptist Church, North Campus, Special Needs Sunday School –
Michelle Edmunds – 281-365-6301 – medmunds@second.org
Sunday school lesson – 9:30 a.m. & 11:00 a.m. on Sundays and 6:00 p.m. on Saturdays
Kids in Action! –
Diane Havens – 281-358-9446
Fitness class for kids and adolescents with special needs are conducted on Thursday evenings from 5:45 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. Kids in Action! is located at 3033 Woodland Hills Drive in Kingwood.
Square Dancing –
For young adults, 9th grade and above on the first & third Tuesdays of the month, 7:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m., Strawbridge Methodist Church located at 5629 Kingwood Drive in Kingwood. For more information, contact Kathie Gentry at kathiegentry@cebridge.net.
Heart of Sailing –
http://www.heartofsailing.org/regional3.asp
Daysails to be scheduled as needed to fit your schedule. Captains will call you to set the date and time. The Daysail is an unforgettable experience enjoyed by everyone in the family. It is a rare opportunity for the entire family to participate in a recreational activity with everyone working together to sail the boat in a therapeutic environment. This is a link to more information about the benefits of sailing as a form of recreational therapy: http://www.heartofsailing.org/sailingbenefits.asp
