The annual German-American Special Olympics will not be held in Darmstadt this year because of a lack of volunteers due to deployments.

In the past, organizers have relied heavily on soldiers and units from the Darmstadt and Babenhausen military communities to make the games a success.

Lt. Col. L.J. Strife, commander of the 233rd Base Support Battalion, and Darmstadt’s Lord Mayor Peter Benz decided the games could not go on because the people relied upon for supplies, transportation, logistics, traffic control, and coaches and those who serve as encouragers for the athletes were not available.

“We had more than 900 Olympians last year and we needed about 1,500 volunteers to make the event a success,” Carla Johnson, installation volunteer coordinator, said in a 233rd BSB press release.

“This year, the hundreds of soldiers needed aren’t available. Without them, we don’t think the games would meet the standards of excellence we’ve developed over the years.”

Scholarships available

University of Maryland University College-Europe is offering a variety of $500 scholarships that can be used for tuition and books for the fall semester.

The scholarships are for both undergraduate and graduate studies. Students planning to apply should check their local education center to find out requirements for each scholarship since they vary. All require an essay.

The deadline for scholarships is June 1. Classes begin Aug. 18.

For more information, see the Web site www.ed.umuc.edu, or contact the Office of Financial Aid at DSN 370-6762, civilian (+49) (0) 6221-3780, or by e-mail at edfso@ed.umuc.edu.

Commissaries recalling some beef items

Six items containing Canadian beef products have been removed from stores by the European Region of the Defense Commissary Agency as a result of the discovery of a case of mad cow disease in Canada this week.

The action was taken after the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service temporarily banned importation of ruminant meat or meat products — meat from cattle, sheep and goats — from Canada, according to a DeCA news release.

The items are:

Pro Veal Cordon Blue, in the 20-ounce package;Pro Veal Cordon Dianne, in the 20-ounce package;Boston Market 16-ounce Chicken Pot Pie, (contains gelatin);Tei Pan Beef and Broccoli;Ragu Rich and Meaty Sausage, Pepper, and Onion Spaghetti Sauce;Ragu Rich and Meaty — Mama’s Meat Sauce.Any customers who have these products at home should not consume them, and should return them to the commissary for a full refund, the release said.

The products were removed after DECA inspectors completed a survey of commissary stock.

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