Special Olympics money lost

Chris Morgan said she is having a hard time forgiving herself. She’s already making more blankets to sell and maybe she’ll organize a yard sale. She’s determined her daughter and other area Special Olympics athletes won’t have to skip a beat.

Saturday morning, Morgan said she got an oil change and took two bank deposit bags with her into the lobby while she waited.

It wasn’t until afternoon she realized she forgot the money she had been working since May to raise for the Special Olympics.

“It was my fault. I was thinking I was being smart by taking the bank bags out of the vehicle. ... It was my fault,” she said.

When Morgan returned to look for the bags, she said they were gone.

According to a police report filed Saturday, the two bags contained almost $1,400 in checks, gas cards and cash.

Morgan said police are investigating, but, “didn't give me a whole lot of hope. (They) said more than likely those checks are in a dumpster somewhere.”

She’s channeled her frustration into getting the money back. “It was to help our athletes with their travel,” she said.

Morgan said she has supported the program since her 13-year-old daughter developed a love of the equestrian event five years ago.

 “It’s very important to them. You just have to see them in action when they’re competing. They take it just as serious as regular Olympians,” she said. 

Special Olympics Local Coordinator Pat Dodson said she’s tried to reassure Morgan but said she knows the working mother will spend all of her spare time trying to recoup the lost money.

“I know Chris will (work to replace the money) but I don’t want her to beat herself up (and) to have to go do that. I want her to know that we don’t blame her for the money being missing,” Dodson said. 

The local group serves between 30 and 40 disabled children and adults in Curry, Roosevelt and De Baca counties. 

Dodson said Morgan bakes pies, sells handmade blankets, holds raffles, Frito pie sales and other fundraising events, estimating Morgan single-handedly puts $2,000 to $4,000 into the local Special Olympics coffers each year.

 “Not everyone is able to do what Chris does. We all try to go out and raise money, (But) she’s really energetic ... that’s her way of helping,” she said.

“As a parent of a child that has a disability, she does lots of fundraising for us. We couldn’t do it without her.”

Dodson hopes someone will step forward and turn in the money.

“We wouldn’t ask any questions if they would just return it,” she said.

• Anyone with information on the missing Special Olympics funds can call Pat Dodson at 356-5120 or 760-5712, Bonnie Light at 763-6273, or the items can be returned anonymously by mail to: Special Olympics P.O. Box 2061, Clovis, N.M. 88101.