2007 World Games Families

TOP 10 REASONS YOU KNOW YOU'RE A FAMILY MEMBER WHO WENT TO CHINA
10. Even though you received 100+ emails coordinating your transportation to Opening Ceremonies in Shanghai, you still had to find your own way to the stadium.
9. You are just now using tap water, not bottled water, to rinse your mouth after brushing.
8. When someone approaches you in public, you are shocked that they are not asking to take your picture.
7. You now wonder what happened to the rest of fish when it is served at the restaurant.
6. You continue to carry your passport at all times, and show it to the ticket taker at the movie theatre.
5. You actually look forward to walking.
4. You now think all Americans are cautious and courteous drivers.
3. When you enter a public restroom, you are so appreciative of the "happy seats" in the stalls.
2. You continue to thank your athlete for taking you to China.
1. You had an amazing, wonderful experience that you will remember for the rest of your life!

THE FAMILIES CORNER... THE INFORMATION CENTER FOR FAMILIES OF WORLD GAMES ATHLETES
Kathy McClain is the Special Olympics Texas Family Coordinator for World Games in Shanghai, the People's Republic of China.

Below are links to information for families. We will post items as we receive them, so please check back. In the meantime, if you have any questions or need assistance, do not hesitate to contact Kathy.

Kathy McClain, Vice President of Shared Services
800-876-5646, ext. 2933; kmcclain@sotx.org

SOTX STAFF IN CHINA
Margaret Larsen, Kathy McClain and Kelly Coffey will be staying at:

Regal International East Asia Hotel
516 Hengshan Road

Shanghai, China 200030
(8621) 6415 5588 phone

(8621) 6445 8899 fax

We will have cell phones; we will provide families with our cell phone numbers once we get them.

FAMILIES RECEPTION IN CHINA *IMPORTANT CHANGE*

PLEASE NOTE: There has been a change regarding the families reception scheduled for October 2. The reception time and meeting room has been changed to 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. in the Bacchus Restaurant on the 1st floor of the Regal International East Asia Hotel (located at 516 Hengshan Road, Xuhui District, Shanghai). ALSO, we have been informed that families must ride the buses provided by the GOC, from the bus stop closest to the hotel where you are staying. They will check your credentials when you board the bus. There will not be buses from the SOTX reception, so you will need to return to your hotel and go to the appropriate shuttle stop. Click here to view the bus schedule.

COMPETITION SCHEDULE

Click here for the World Games daily competition schedule. This information is subject to change. We will post any updates that we receive here - so please check back.

MEDIA COVERAGE
We know many of you are interested in World Games media coverage that will be available in the U.S., for those of you who will not be traveling to

China

and to pass onto your family members and friends. The following are a few ways that you can keep up-to-date on the Games:

Check back here for daily updates. We’re in the process of developing these World Games pages, so you will see many additions in the coming days.
ABC Family will air a two-hour edited version of Opening Ceremonies on October 4. Check your local TV listings for the airtime.
A webcast of Games competition, events and awards will be available at www.specialolympics.org.
ESPN.com will develop a daily page of highlights.

We will keep you posted as we learn more. Please check our website frequently for updates. Questions? Contact Kelly Coffey, Vice President of Communications at kcoffey@sotx.org.

NEW VISA APPLICATION FORM

Effective September 1, 2007, there is a new visa application form for China. They will not accept the prior visa application form. You can print out the new form via the following website:
http://www.china-embassy.org/eng/hzqz/default.htm.

ADAPTED CHOPSTICKS
Adapted "training" chopsticks can be purchased online at www.asianideas.com. Click on "Tableware" then "Chopsticks".

FAMILY REGISTRATION - STAGE 2:

The Games Operating Committee (GOC) has rolled out Stage 2 of the family registration process. Stage 2 requires that all registrations be entered online. We will register all family members online, using the information that you previously provided in the Family Registration Forms. We will then email to each Head of Families (the person you designated on the Family Registration Form) a scanned copy of the on-line registration for your review. If you need to make corrections or edits, you will need to contact me so that we can coordinate and make the corrections/edits/additions.

The GOC will gather the online family registration information and send it back to the Head of Families via email to confirm the identification of family members who have registered. The Head of Families should receive this information after July 31, 2007 and will then have another opportunity to make corrections.

VISAS FOR FAMILY MEMBERS:

Click here for the file "Visa Application Guide for Families". The Visa Application Guide for Families outlines the process for applying for a free visa (Only 1 family member per athlete is eligible for a free visa). If you wish to apply for a free visa, the main contact person for each family attending the games, must complete the "Family Member Visa Information Form" (click here to download), and must return it to me by JULY 20th. Other family members can be listed on the FMVIF, but the fee for their visa(s) will NOT be free. You must have your passport in order to complete the FMVIF. Once the FMVIF application is approved, the Games Operating Committee will forward a Visa Notice Form (VNF) to you. The VNF serves as an "official letter of invitation to the 2007 Special Olympics World Summer Games" which will assist you when applying for a visa. You will then need to still apply for a visa at the designated Chinese Embassy/Consulate closest to you or use a processing agent to obtain your visitor visa (F visa). If you do not currently have a passport or do not receive your passport by July 20th, you are will not be eligible to apply for a free visa or receive a VNF.

But, you may still apply directly to the nearest Chinese Embassy/Consulate for a tourist visa (L visa). There is no significant difference between a visitor visa (F visa) and a tourist visa (L visa). The cost of visas are $55.00 + processing fees for a single visa via regular processing. Rush processing fees range from $75.00 up.

Visas are only good for 90 days which also includes the time spent in China. So, do NOT contact the Chinese Embassy/Consulate to apply for your visa before August 1st. Two helpful websites for visa processing agencies are: www.ivsdc.com and www.travisa.com.

EVENTS & HOTELS IN 19 DISTRICTS:

Click here for the file, "Sketch map of Events and Hotels in 19 districts.pdf", which shows the proximity of events and locations to the other events and locations. The sketch is definitely not to scale and neither is the distance between the locations but it give to us an idea of how things are laid out.

HOTELS IN CHINA:

"Hotel List(non JJ Group)1.xls" and "Hotel List(non JJ Group) SON.xls" list hotels that still have availability.

TRANSPORTATION INFORMATION IN SHANGHAI:

Click here for "Transportation info in Shanghai for families.doc" that outlines what will be available for families. This information comes from the Head of Delegation manual and also from some research. Inside the document are a couple of websites that will help provide more detail to the information provided. It is our understanding that the Games Operating Committee will have a bus route to provide transportation, but we do not have the details yet. As we receive additional information about transportation we will forward it onto you.

Special Olympics has released a daily general schedule of events for the World Games. The schedule pertains to all World Games athletes/teams. SOTX athletes may or may not compete on the days listed. We probably will not know the specific day that our athletes will compete until the day before competition; this information will be made available to us via the Special Olympics website. Click here for the general schedule of events.

Click here to view a list of the Family Registration Forms we have received as of 5.21.07. If your name is not on the list, we have not received your form.

Click here for information about submitting a photo of your athlete for SOTX's 2007 World Games Media Guide. The deadline for photo submission is 6.15.07.

For information about renting a cell phone in China, click here.

For information about booking travel arrangements through Maupin Travel, click here.

To read the Memorandum from Special Olympics Team USA, click here. (Includes passport and visa information)