Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, January 30, 1992 TAG: 9201300479
SECTION: NEIGHBORS PAGE: E-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: WENDI GIBSON
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
VOLUNTEER HONORED FOR BEING SPECIAL
Ethel Holdren thought her doctor meant "bar-hopping" when he suggested she get out more.She took his advice, getting out more, but not during happy hour.
Holdren began volunteering with Special Olympics nearly 15 years ago, devoting two to three hours a day - every day - to Roanoke Valley's mentally handicapped.
Her dedication paid off recently when she was honored as Virginia's 1991 Special Olympic Volunteer of the Year.
Holdren said she became a Special Olympics volunteer because W.E. Cundiff Elementary School, where she's worked for 21 years, had mentally handicapped students. Their presence and connection to Special Olympics were the "first things I saw that I could work with."
Rewards: "Compassion for other people's needs." The people she works with overcome things with a smile "while we gripe and groan."
Special Olympics duties: "I started out doing clerical work for the local coordinator for Roanoke County, working with her behind the scenes." She's been a chaperone on state trips, served as secretary to Area 8 Council (Roanoke Valley, Franklin, Craig and Botetourt Counties), and for almost four years, has served as Area 8's coordinator.
Favorite job as volunteer: "Working with the athletes . . . seeing them grow." Part of Holdren's job was coaching the ice skating team. "I still don't ice skate very well - but a lot of basketball coaches can't play basketball very well, either."
For Holdren, teaching ice skating was mostly a job of showing potential skaters how to stand on skates, maintain their balance and, yes, how to fall. The head ice skating coach even suggested she try rappelling: "I don't think so," she told him. He answered, "Yeah, but you're good at falling!"
Most memorable Special Olympics moment: "We had one child who started ice skating; he couldn't skate at all. He ultimately competed in the national competition in Reno, Nevada," where he won a medal.
Most embarrassing Special Olympics moment: "We had a child who qualified for everything. This child had been to all practices, got ribbons at all competitions and was going to state [competition]." Just as he was getting ready to board the bus, Holdren realized she hadn't registered the boy.
"It was awful for him. He took it better than his family though. I made a mistake, a major mistake. I didn't make any more like that!"
Good news came the next year when the boy requalified and won a medal at the state level.
Family: Divorced mother of two, Shelly, 17, and Joseph, 14.
Employment: Secretary at W.E. Cundiff and part time at Orvis.
Future: Taking a "fresh look" and slowing the pace, stepping back into the position of secretary to the Area 8 Council.