By Matt Nauman
PG&E workers have given their dollars and their time to help the athletes of the Tehama County Special Olympics succeed.
For Ken Hess, a construction supervisor at PG&E’s Cottonwood Substation, his involvement with the local Special Olympics started with a favor he did for his wife.
Debbie Hess became director for the Tehama County Special Olympics in 2008. It made sense since her mother, Sharon, had held the post for many years. Debbie then asked Ken to help run the group’s softball and basketball program.
What he found was, in his words, “truly unbelievable as well as totally unacceptable.”
There was little money for the proper uniforms and equipment, and Hess wanted to do something about that.
What he did started with PG&E’s Campaign for the Community, where employees can designate their charitable contributions (and the company often matches those donations.)
After the first season, when 17 Special Olympians played softball, Hess decided to get two of his co-workers, substation electricians Chris Travis and Billy Rickett, to help him coach the teams. Both men also agreed to direct their Campaign for the Community donations to the Tehama County Special Olympics.
That combination – more help and more money – had an immediate, and positive, impact, Hess said. More Special Olympians, which the organization describes as children and adults with intellectual disabilities, joined.
This year, Hess, Travis and Rickett will be contributing about $11,000 to the program. And thanks to the involvement of their wives, the support has become a family affair.
“When we started volunteering, we had no idea how rewarding and fun it would be,” Hess said. “These athletes are amazing people and put a smile on your face the entire time you are around them.”
So, in four years, a program that was once struggling is now flourishing.
And, local residents are more aware of the Special Olympics and continue to step up to help by volunteering and giving financial support.
The athletes now have better equipment and top-notch uniforms. As anyone who has been around sports knows, a nice uniform can really make a player feel proud. More sporting events have been added to the calendar, and the Special Olympics hosted the North Valley Softball Tournament in 2011 for the first time ever.
“You really can’t explain how much they have progressed unless you are here all the time,” said Rickett. Added Travis, “It is so great to see how much you can accomplish when everyone pitches in.”
At the North Valley Special Olympics Basketball Tournament, held in Redding on March 17-18, the Tehama County teams won one gold and two bronze medals.
“Everyone played great and had a great time,” Hess said.
The dedicated group of PG&E employees, which now includes Mike Cox and Tim Bass, donates several hundred hours a year of their time and all say they will continue to do so. The team now features 34 athletes, from 22 to 62 years old.
“Things are looking very bright for the Tehama County Special Olympics Program thanks to all of the volunteers that make it happen,” Hess said.
Email Matt Nauman at matt.nauman@pge.com