Special Olympics Day in Collingwood

The Town of Collingwood is proclaiming February 26th, 2022 as Special Olympics Day in honour of the 25th Anniversary of the Special Olympics World Winter Games 1997 that Collingwood co-hosted with the city of Toronto. A recognition will be made during the opening ceremonies of the 24h BLUE MTN Ski Relay. A special message from Brian Saunderson, Mayor - Town of Collingwood:

Collingwood has a long and proud association with the Special Olympics movement. It began 25 years ago when, together with the City of Toronto, we hosted the 1997 Special Olympics World Winter Games. It was a massive undertaking with 2,000 athletes from 73 Countries who competed in five sports. It was the first, and only time to date, that Canada hosted a Special Olympics Games and it was an event that changed lives and changed our community. Since then, Collingwood has celebrated and supported our Special Olympics athletes who, through their commitment and dedication, demonstrate daily the joy of sport and the power of friendship through competition.

I want to congratulate and thank the many volunteers whose dedication made those Winter Games such a success, and to thank the countless volunteers since then who have worked tirelessly and continue to work tirelessly to make the Special Olympics movement in our community so powerful.

To all the participants in the 24-Hour Blue Mountain Ski Relay; welcome, good luck and thank you for your generosity. The funds raised will help to ensure the legacy of the 1997 Special Olympics Winter Games will live on in our community.

Brian Saunderson
Mayor - Town of Collingwood

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Look How Far You've Come

In 1997, Toronto and Collingwood, Ontario, joined forces to host the Special Olympics World Winter Games. This was the first and only time that Canada hosted a Special Olympics Games and only the second time that the Special Olympics Winter Games took place outside the United States (in 1993, Salzburg, Austria, hosted the Special Olympics Winter Games). Almost 2,000 athletes from 73 countries in five different sports competed at the 1997 Winter Games. It was the largest winter multi-sport event in 1997.
Eunice Kennedy Shriver welcomes the games to the "spirited, magnificent land of Canada," the host country of the 1997 World Winter Games, where athletes competed at world-class levels.
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    Special Olympics is not nationalistic. We play no national anthem. We wave no flags. We permit no computation of medals won by specific countries. It is individual effort and achievement that counts.
    Robert Sargent Shriver Jr.
    Thirty-five years ago, I decided to make it my mission to bring together two different worlds - the world of mental handicap and the world of sport. In 1963, this was definitely a contradiction in terms. Special Olympics was to be pure sport.
    Dr. Frank Hayden

    CELEBRATE THE LEGACY

    Special Olympics Ontario is planning a short celebration as part of the Opening Ceremony of the 24h BLUE MTN Ski event supporting Special Olympics Ontario and the Collingwood Marine Hospital Foundation.

    WHERE:
    Blue Mountain Resort Village Square
    156 Jozo Weider Blvd,
    The Blue Mountains, ON
    L9Y 3Z2

    WHEN:
    Saturday, February 26th, 2022
    11:00am

    Whether you ski/snowboard or not, you are invited to come celebrate with us as we honour the 25th Anniversary of the 1997 Special Olympics World Winter Games in Collingwood! If you were a volunteer, find your Special Olympics green jacket and wear it to the celebration.

    And if you are a skier or snowboarder, why not stay and participate in 24h BLUE MTN?

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    Click here to learn more about 24h BLUE MTN
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      Join in on this day of recognition in remembering the first Special Olympics World Winter Games in Canada!

      Share your photos on social media, like the ones above of Sue Diggins and Patty Federer, who were volunteers at the World Winter Games in 1997 and are proudly wearing their green volunteer jackets!

      Be sure to use the hashtag #Collingwood1997 and tag Special Olympics Ontario (@SOOntario on Twitter, @SpecialOlympicsOntario on Facebook/Instagram)!

      24h BLUE MTN is a fantastic team relay fundraising event to benefit the Special Olympics and the Collingwood General & Marine Hospital Foundation. Hosted at Ontario’s premier ski resort on February 26-27, 2022, 24h BLUE MTN features around-the-clock fun, exhilarating outdoor thrills, warm music, great food, good spirits PLUS participant perks and prizes.