Five decades of SOPA service
EDITOR'S NOTE: This story was originally published in the first Northeast Region newsletter in November, 2023.
Bette Ann Baerenklau was still early in her career as a Special Education teacher when she took coaching classes and began with the Special Olympics as a volunteer.
Baerenklau is now retired after 33-plus years as a teacher, but her association with Special Olympics continues, as well as her role in running the Dyberry Day Camp each summer.
That dedication has led to Bette Ann being chosen, along with her husband Al, as The Chamber of the Northern Poconos’ Citizens of the Year. The Baerenklaus were recognized during the chamber’s Community Awards Nov. 8 at Woodloch Pines Resort near Hawley. The award celebrates significant contributions through service that benefits the community.
Bette Ann Baerenklau trains athletes locally (Area P) in what is now the Northeast Region of Special Olympics Pennsylvania. She has traveled with those athletes to competitions at Shawnee Resort, Villanova University, Penn State and Seven Springs in the western part of the state as an extension of her coaching that has included swimming, volleyball, skiing, roller skating, equestrian, basketball, golf bowling and other programs.
“It started a long, long time ago,” said Bette Ann, who has been a Special Olympics volunteer for 45 years. Her willingness to receive training in so many areas allowed Special Olympics to institute new sports offerings.
Bette Ann taught in the Wayne Highlands School District, originally as part of the Northeast Intermediate Unit, then as a district employee. She has run the Dyberry Day Camp, sponsored by ARC of Wayne County, each July for 36 years.
“I get more out of it than I give,” Bette Ann said. “I have formed relationships with the athletes. Many of these athletes have gone through Dyberry Day Camp. It’s just an extension of that. I just like to see everybody happy.
“And, they’re happy even if it’s a recreational sport for them. I have some that are never going to compete at a state level or regional level, but they are happy to come to every training and do their best.”
When they married, Al, who is also active in Meals on Wheels and as a hospice volunteer, joined his wife in many of the Special Olympics efforts. The Chamber of Northern Poconos award that the Beach Lake couple received covers service in Wayne and Pike Counties, which are both part of the Special Olympics Pennsylvania Northeast Region.