By Adam Hammer, staff writer

Leon Bure is an active man &045; active in the community, active through charity and active with sports.

&8220;He&8217;s the best example of what a positive attitude can do,&8221; Jo Lowe, executive director of Arc of Freeborn County, said. &8220;If you ask him to do something, he says he can do it.&8221;

Bure takes pride in the time he spends volunteering and participating in charity events around the area including bike-a-thons, bowl-a-thons, the Relay for Life and the March of Dimes walk.

&8220;He&8217;s a great volunteer,&8221; Lowe said. &8220;He likes to help and he gives a lot back with the volunteer work to the community.&8221;

One of the main bowl-a-thons he participates in is to help raise funds for Arc. Arc is a private, non-profit, statewide voluntary organization that is dedicated to ensuring the full participation in their communities of people with developmental disabilities and to improving their lives and the lives of their families, according to Arc&8217;s Web site.

The local chapter of Arc is funded through the Freeborn County United Way and community donations.

There are approximately 6,600 people who belong to the Arc of Minnesota in chapters throughout the state. Arc members are people with developmental disabilities, family members, professionals in disability fields and concerned citizens.

Bure is always on the go. Besides being physically active for charity, he stays active in his spare time with biking, bowling and swimming. He also competes in the Special Olympics and has earned numerous trophies, medals and ribbons during more than 15 years in competition.

Bure&8217;s main focus in the Special Olympics is on swimming, bowling and the softball throw in the track and field competition.

Last year, swimming was not an event at the local Special Olympics, but this time around, Bure has high hopes of getting back in the pool.

&8220;This year we&8217;ll hopefully have swimming,&8221; Bure said. &8220;Because I&8217;m good at it.&8221;

Bure owns a two-bedroom home where he has lived since 1997 and cares for his cat Sheba.

&8220;I&8217;m usually neat at my house,&8221; he said. &8220;But I don&8217;t like dusting.&8221;

Bure&8217;s simple home on West Main Street is vastly decorated in photos of family, model cars and awards from the Special Olympics. Sheba is Bure&8217;s centerpiece.

The white and black feline came from Bure&8217;s stepfather&8217;s farm where she was born. As a kitten, Sheba was abandoned by her mother, Bure said, but the family took care of her and now she stays with Bure and helps keep him company.

&8220;She&8217;s a good cat,&8221; Bure said. Owning a home has been a lot of work for Bure who has to shovel snow, clean up and mow the lawn. But work is something Bure is no stranger to. He has worked hard to get where he is today often receives accolades for his accomplishments.