HERMISTON, Ore.-David Andrews of Hermiston won a Gold Medal at the recent Special Olympic Regional Bowling Tournament, sponsored by Good Shepherd Health Care System (GSHCS), held November 7-8 in Hermiston and Pendleton.
“It’s exciting,” said Andrews, of Hermiston, as he showed off his medal recently. “I got it last Sunday at the awards ceremony in Pendleton.”
When he’s not on the lanes, Andrews works in Nutrition Services at Good Shepherd in Hermiston, where he has been part of the team operating the dish room and helping keep the kitchen running for the past nine years.
“David is certainly a champion here at Good Shepherd as well,” said Norman Shaw, the Manager of Nutrition Services. “He is a fun person to be around, frequently joking with teammates and providing a fun and positive work atmosphere in our dish room. He is always focused and hardworking and never gets angry or upset, even on days when the dish room gets overwhelmed.”
Special Olympics Hermiston-Pendleton Local Program #510 serves athletes in Hermiston and Pendleton, as well as Athena, Boardman, Echo, Heppner, Irrigon, Milton-Freewater, Pilot Rock, Stanfield and Umatilla.
Bowling Regionals were split into groups, with athletes competing in a virtual format, meaning the other athletes one is competing against may not be physically present, but might be bowling the next day.
Athletes bowled a two-game series, and scores were submitted to the Special Olympics state office before medals were awarded on November 16.
Andrews competed in the second day of competition, rolling games of 134 and 107 at Quaking Aspen Lanes in Pendleton to win gold.
“I’ve been bowling for about 10 years or so,” said Andrews, who competes in the Special Olympics every year and golfs in the spring. “The thing I like the most about bowling is getting strikes and spares.”
Andrews was also the top fundraiser this year, going door-to-door, around town and among his co-workers at Good Shepherd, to raise $1,498 for Special Olympics Hermiston/Pendleton #510.
“He works well with everyone and is often one of the first people our new hires work with as they are getting trained,” said Shaw. “He is also a very reliable and detail-oriented person, always ensuring that duties, including temp sheets and checklists, are filled out every day, helping ensure that our dishes are sanitized and safe for our patients and visitors.”
In the dish room, out in the community or on the lanes, David Andrews is a true champion, and now he has the gold medal to prove it.
