The Charlotte
JEWISH
Vol. 32, No. 8
Elul-Tishrei 5770/1
September 2010
An Affiliate of ttie Jewish Federation of Greater Ctiariotte
A Decade of Soaring
By Diana Ades
What were you doing in 2001?
Well in 2001, Levine Jewish
Community Center’s Assistant
Executive Director Barry
Schumer and Special Olympics
Volunteer Expert Bob Bower were
conspiring to put together a sum
mer program for Special Olympic
athletes. Mecklenburg County’s
Special Olympic office had limit
ed summer programs for their
athletes so Bowler recruited
Schumer, and with the Levine
JCC’s resources. Camp SOAR
(Special Olympics Athletic
Retreat) was bom.
Camp SOAR started with 54
athletes ranging in ages from 15 to
60 with approximately 40 volun
teers, mostly from our Jewish
community. Lunch was PB&J and
the athletes “ate it up.” But for the
first year, PB&J was all Camp
SOAR could afford. Bowler went
to all his friends and former busi
ness associates and literally plead
ed for donations.
Fast forward ten years and
“never say no Bob” (as he is affec
tionately called by the Steering
Committee) succeeds again.
Everyone Bowler asks for assis
tance never disappoints. This year
Bowler received donations from
many corporations like Family
Dollar, Nabisco, Lance, Harris
Teeter, and the Charlotte Knights,
just to name a few. And Compass
Group provides lunch for Camp
SOAR every year, even as the
number of athletes and volunteers
grows.
What started as a three-day
camp has expanded to its current
five-day format to accommodate
the growing demand. Monday and
Tuesday are for athletes ages 26
years plus and Wednesday and
Thursday are for the younger ath
letes from 10-25 years old. On
Friday, the camp combines both
sessions into one grand finale with
an indoor carnival and dance.
As interest and the number of
athletes have grown, so has the
number of volunteers that are
needed. This summer, in Camp
SOAR’s 10th year, there were
approximately 275 volunteers and
300 athletes. Camp SOAR now
takes over the Levine JCC for the
whole week, and the entire Levine
JCC staff welcomes the athletes
with open arms.
This may be the one of the rea
sons the rate of return on volun
teers is so high. One volunteer
summed up his experience best, “1
now realize how blessed we are
and 1 have learned so much about
appreciating life through these
amazing individuals.”
In addition to the many volun
teers from the Jewish community,
high school students from
Charlotte Catholic, Charlotte
Christian, Charlotte Latin, Myers
Park, Providence, East Meek, and
Ardrey Kell are now participating.
The Charlotte Soccer Academy
and Mecklenburg Aquatic Club
participate as volunteer coaches
and leaders. And many families
have made volunteering at Camp
SOAR a family tradition as sib
lings and parents volunteer togeth
er.
The celebrities just keep
“showing up” at Camp SOAR.
Dell Curry, Muggsy Bogues,
Andrea Stinson and David
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Thompson are just a few basket
ball greats that donate their time.
And the “big” celebrities like Sir
Purr, Chubby Checker, Lynx, and
Homer all make an appearance.
Seventy year old “never say no
Bob” cannot turn any athlete away
and his passion and enthusiasm
are contagious. Although the
campers are both young and older,
their various disabilities never
stop them from making new
friends and sharing their athletic
and artistic accomplishments with
all.
And after a decade, let’s not
forget the other selfless man that
makes Camp SOAR a tremendous
success ... Barry Schumer.
Staffing and logistics come
together under Schumer’s leader
ship. Even when it rains, he is
ready with a back-up plan. Camp
SOAR is a labor of love for
Schumer, and his planning for the
11th year of Camp SOAR will
have started by the time you read
this article.
The Steering Committee want
ed to make this 10th year a
special celebration by honoring
Bowler and the athletes. Schumer,
Steering Committee member A1
Tinson and 1 worked with Elsa
Safir and Eddie Gluck of the
LJCC and put together a
presentation that was
shared by the athletes on
the final day of camp.
With Bowler’s family,
and the athletes and vol
unteers, Levine JCC
CEO Phil Berman pre
sented Bob with a
Proclamation from
Mayor Anthony Fox pro
claiming that Friday,
June 18 was officially
Bob Bowler and Camp SOAR
day.
Schumer then presented
Bowler with a beautifully framed
collage consisting of pictures from
the past ten years of Camp SOAR.
And the grand finale was a won
derful video capturing the past
decade.
For the first time in ten years,
Bowler was speechless. It was
obvious that the athletes have so
much love in their hearts for
Bowler
The past ten years can best be
summed up by an athlete that has
participated in Camp year after
year. Kim Jones said, “The
moment 1 walked into the Levine
JCC ... 1 could feel love in the
walls. 1 feel that everyone played
their part ... we leam about each
Having fun at Camp SOAR year after year
other every day in so many ways.”
Jones compares Camp SOAR
to a tree that keeps growing. “It’s
like Bob and his family are the
trunk and we, the athletes and vol
unteers are the branches and
leaves.” And she writes, “When
you know people that are so pas
sionate about what they do and so
rich in their faith, you can’t help
but rejoice.”
The volunteers from the Jewish
Community should be exfremely
proud of what they have helped
accomplish and the lasting memo
ry they have helped create for the
athletes. Don’t be left out next
year.. .do a mitzvah and volunteer
for Camp SOAR. To leam more,
to volunteer or to donate money,
please contact Barry Schumer at
704-944-6744. ^
Hugh McColl, Jr. to Present 2010 Echo
Award Against Indifference to Sandra
and Leon Levine
Special Guest Elie Wiesel Will Conduct On-Stage
Dialogue; Premiere of Documentary ^^In the Footsteps of
Elie Wieser
Tuesday, September 21, 6-9 PM,
Knight Theatre
The Echo Foundation will
award its 2010 Echo Award
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Leon and Sandra Levine
Against Indifference to Sandra
and Leon Levine at a special event
on September 21 at Knight
Theatre. Presenting the award to
the Levines will be Hugh McColl,
Jr., former chairman and CEO of
Bank of America.
Included in the evening’s pro
gram will be the premiere of “In
the Footsteps of Elie Wiesel,” a
56-minute documentary produced
during Dr. Wiesel’s 2007 visit to
Charlotte with the Echo
Foundation. Dr Wiesel will also
participate in an on-stage dialogue
at the Knight Theatre. Following
the presentation of the 2010 Echo
Award Against Indifference to the
Sandra and Leon Levine, there
will be a Pafron’s Reception.
Hugh McColl, jr.
Pafron tickets ($250) or general
admission tickets ($65) are avail
able, as well as a large range of
patron or corporate sponsorships,
by calling 704-347-3844, or visit
ing www.echofoundation.org. ^