Sendoff Planned for Mt. Greenwood Special Olympian Competing in World Games

CHICAGO, IL - The Mount Greenwood community will gather Saturday morning to give an enthusiastic send-off to Tommy Shimoda, the 24-year-old neighborhood resident and speed skater who qualified for the Special Olympics World Games.

The Chicago Park District and Ald. Matt O’Shea will team to hold the rally at 9:15 a.m. on Saturday, March 11 at Mount Greenwood Park. O'Shea, Chicago Park District General Superintendent Michael Kelly, Shimoda and Shimoda's mother, Barbara will all speak at the rally.

“We are extremely proud of Tommy’s bid to compete in the Special Olympics World Games in Austria,” said Kelly. “His success is a testament to hard work and determination that serves as an inspiration to us all.”

Shimoda, a 2014 alum of the Chicago High School for Agricultural Sciences, has been a part of the Special Olympics Chicago program at the park since he was eight years old. He will be the only athlete from the city of Chicago to compete for Team USA at the Special Olympics, which begin on Tuesday, March 14 in Austria.

About 6,800 total Special Olympic athletes will compete in the games.

The community is invited to be a part of the send-off. Organizers are expecting to see at least 100 people, but more would be even better.

• Patch Editor Tim Moran contributed to this story.