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Developmental Disability - group of chronic conditions that are due to mental or physical impairments that arise before adulthood.

Expertise - Expert skill or knowledge in a particular field.

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Back in 1988, Mike knew a person with developmental disabilities. S/he was brought into there workplace. And that person did Special Olympics. So he thought it was a good idea to start volunteering for Special Olympics. He started Volunteering for reffing Special Olympics soccer because he already reffed soccer and it was his strenght. But over time Mike spent more and more time at different Special Olympic events. He felt like he needed them more and they needed. He gained knowledge over time while he volunteered. He went on to ref soccer National and world Special Olympics in places like Greece and South Carolina. Now he goes to pretty much all of there events around Maine and is bringing new people in to Special Olympics like me.

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When Mike first started to volunteer for Special Olympics he’d ref the Special Olympians games in Maine. But as Special Olympics became more and more a part of him, he’d spend more time doing Special Olympics. Compared to now when Mike goes to Special Olympic fundraisers like the Lobster Dip in Old Orchard Beach. Also, he started doing the track event in Oreno and the Downhill skiing at Sugarloaf. So while Mike started with reffing Soccer because that was his area of Expertise. Now he has gained knowledge to be able to donate more time.

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Mike works at Wex and Wex is were he first came into contact with volunteering for Special Olympics.

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Q: How will the change that you are making now affect the future?

A:Volunteers will always be needed not just for Special Olympics but everywhere. And what I've been trying to do is to bring new people in. We've gotten your mom and my friends to do it. And if we can expose more and more kids at a younger age than when they grow up they can help more and more and that always helps. And it's more of a generational thing you try to expose a lot of people to it some people will potentially want to do it as long as I've done it.

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Q:Who are some of the people that have helped or influenced you?

A:Not from volunteering, but my parents. They were very giving people. they required us to help because we had a very big family. They gave me the sense of helping whoever you can. Hopefully, I am able to pass that lesson on to others even though I do not have my own kids.

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He was also the Junior Achievement Volunteer of the year for 2017-2018 in Maine.
Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mrP468XBwk4

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https://www.somaine.org/