Special Olympics Athletes Form Choir

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Members of the Athletic Choir of Northwest Arkansas performing.

The UA National Student Speech Language Hearing Association has helped the Arkansas Athletic Choir obtain new equipment and is assisting with the choir's performance at the Graduate Education Auditorium at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 29.

The Athletic Choir of Northwest Arkansas was formed in October 2011. The choir is made of Special Olympics athletes who also enjoy music and singing. It was started by Sue Beckford, whose daughter Jessica has a diagnosis called Angelman syndrome, which causes developmental delays but most profoundly affects speech.

According to Mrs. Beckford you will never meet anyone that loves to sing more than Jessica, even though it is rare to understand one word she sings. Yet, she always does so with a huge grin. One year later, this huge grin is worn by every singer in the choir.

Over the past year the Athletic choir of Northwest Arkansas has performed in many places in the region, including Sam's club, the Bentonville Juvenile Detention Center, the Children's Shelter, nursing homes and proudly performed the national anthem, The Star Spangled Banner, at the Special Olympics area games. The choir was also invited to perform at the Arkansas Governor's Developmental Disabilities Conference last September in Little Rock and inspired many, including Beckford.

Soon the choir will be performing its Christmas program for the 2012 holiday season.

"Very excitedly we have been preparing to perform at the University of Arkansas for the Special Education Department. We have been given this opportunity with the support of Marilyn McGehee, the director of clinical services at the university's Speech and Hearing Clinic," said Beckford.

Beckford said that McGehee has continually offered support for her daughter, Jessica, not only with goals related to her communication device and learning to use it in meaningful ways, but in every area of life. It was at McGehee's suggestion to get involved in Special Olympics because making friendships had been difficult since Jessica graduated from Har-Ber High School in 2009.

Beckford said, "Now, through Special Olympics and the choir, Jessica frequently has sleepovers and friends at the house. Lonely areas are once again being filled.

"We are also being welcomed and supported by the NSSLHA, which is the local association of the national organization for speech therapists. They have even done a fundraiser to help us purchase a badly needed microphone. We look forward to meeting their president Rebecca Smith who has been very helpful with the event."

The vision of the choir is also "inclusive" meaning and its members would love to have "friends" or typical peers without disabilities who enjoy singing to participate with them. In particular they are looking for adults in the ages of 18 to 40 to sing along with them. If you are interested or have questions, contact Sue Beckford at suebeckford@hotmail.com.