AUGUSTA – Republican legislative leaders today announced the launch of a campaign to raise $20,000 for Special Olympics Maine to replace state funds eliminated in the new supplemental budget. A web site named Mainegives.com has been created to enable Maine citizens to make secure, on-line donations to support the 3,000 athletes enrolled in the state’s Special Olympics program.

“With the $20,000 being cut, we saw an opportunity for the private sector to come to the rescue of a program that does a lot of good for Maine kids,” said Rep. Josh Tardy, leader of the House Republicans. “We don’t want the Special Olympics to be a casualty of our budget problems. If enough folks make small donations, we can make sure the program receives the money it was expecting.”

Sen. Carol Weston, the Senate Republican leader, explained that Special Olympics Maine runs on a small budget and was counting on the state money to defray the costs of running its winter games, taking place this week at Sugarloaf USA. “It was unfortunate for them to lose the money at the last minute, right before one of their biggest events of the year,” she said. “The web site makes it easy for private citizens to make donations.”

The web site – Mainegives.com – features a “chip-in” window where donors can make contributions using credit card numbers. The site uses Pay Pal, a respected web security system, to ensure that all transactions are secure. All contributions will flow directly to a Special Olympics Maine bank account. The site was created by Lance Dutson, of MaineCoastDesign.com, who donated his time and talent to make sure Mainers would have a convenient way of supporting the program.

Special Olympics Maine created the world’s first Special Olympics Winter Games in 1970. More than 500 athletes are registered for this year’s three-day event at Sugarloaf, which includes alpine and cross-country skiing, speed skating, snowshoeing and dual ski. Special Olympics Maine, a non-profit organization, runs dozens of events every year, which take place throughout the state. According to its mission statement, Special Olympics Maine provides sports training and athletic competition in a variety of Olympic-style sports for children and adults with intellectual disabilities, to enhance physical fitness and demonstrate friendship with other athletes, their families and the community.