
Bidding for a Cause: Green Frog customers can bid on the Community Auctions table to support Special Olympics.
Green Frog Coffee Co. in Jackson is proud to serve as a host site for a community auction that benefits Special Olympics.
Special Olympics was founded in 1968 by Eunice Shriver Kennedy with the mission of “(providing) year-round sports training and athletic competition in a variety of Olympic-type sports for children and adults with intellectual disabilities.” Over the years, some of my clients at the STAR Center have included Special Olympics athletes.
Green Frog customers have an opportunity to bid on auction items that include sports memorabilia and pictures at a Community Auctions event table when they come inside the restaurant for at least the next two weeks. Auction items include something for nearly everyone. There are framed pictures of music legends Johnny Cash and Elvis Presley as well as framed keepsakes from the world of sports. A prominent framed picture honoring NBA Champion Kobe Bryant’s legacy with the Los Angeles Lakers is also featured on the auction table.
General Manager Alex Stueck said that he and the Green Frog Owner Timm Johnson are glad to offer their space and their support to this cause. “Special Olympics is near and dear to our heart,” Stueck said.
“I appreciate Green Frog and all community efforts to support local and state Special Olympics, ” said Special Olympics Area 20 Dyersburg Director Cindy Jones.
“On the state level, the money goes to fund all of the activities and supplies needed to run all state events and helps fund participation on higher levels.”
According to the Community Auctions website, “more than 10,500 businesses have hosted a Community Auction since 2019.”
Special Olympics, like other major sporting events, felt the impact of COVID-19.
Jones said the last Special Olympics event that they were able to hold in the Dyersburg area was a basketball event in January 2020. She is hopeful that they can start hosting Special Olympics events again before the end of the year.
“The state has provided all area directors with PPE for participants,” she said. In Dyersburg, “we’re a single county that serves 80 to 100 athletes and volunteers.”
Special Olympics Customer Service Supervisor Ric Hudson said that if any area businesses are interested in hosting a Community Auctions table, they can visit their website or call their toll free number at 877-820-4653 for more information.