Meet Ryan Kulikowski from Welland-Pelham! He’s been a passionate Special Olympics athlete for an incredible 15 years, competing in 5-pin bowling, 10-pin bowling, athletics, floor hockey, and softball. For Ryan, Special Olympics is all about getting out of the house, meeting teammates and friends, and staying active in the sports he loves. Special Olympics means everything to Ryan—without it, he …
Slo-Pitch for Special Olympics is a Grand Slam event for SOO-Barrie!
Over the May long weekend, the ninth annual Slo-Pitch for Special Olympics fundraising tournament took place in Barrie. With 32 teams signing up in addition to other on-site fundraising, the tournament raised $18,000 for the SOO-Barrie program this year. The tally for local programs over the years is now over $100,000! In 2017, Dustin Agar, head coach for the Barrie …
Mardi Gras and More at the North West District Spring Games
The North West District Spring Games is an annual event and yearly highlight for many of the participating athletes and coaches. The competition, hosted in Thunder Bay, brings together the communities of the far northwest in friendly competition and celebration. Five communities (Dryden, Marathon, Red Lake, Terrace Bay & Thunder Bay) and over 300 athletes make the trek, some from …
Community Connect Newsletter – April 2025
https://conta.cc/44guCoy
An Educated Perspective from Kitchener-Waterloo
This month we’re handing things over to Corina, a teacher from Waterloo Region District School Board, to share her experience with Special Olympics— For about 10 years, I have had the privilege of volunteering with Special Olympics. This journey has filled my life with pure joy, inspiration, and the spirit of true sportsmanship. I began by coaching swimming and later …
Racing to Give – Special Olympics Ontario Takes Over Blue Mountain!
Blue Mountain ski resort, just outside Collingwood, hosted an exciting fundraising event from February 22-23, 2025 – 24h BLUE MTN. Thirty-three teams of skiers and snowboarders had 24 hours to get as many laps as possible on the Smart Alec ski run. These teams competed for most laps and most money raised for Special Olympics Ontario and the Blue Mountain …
Introducing the FUNdamentals to Milton Special Olympics
Do you remember your first experience with Special Olympics? For 15 athletes in South Central Ontario, that day was January 21, the day Milton Special Olympics started a new FUNdamentals program for children with intellectual or developmental disabilities (IDD) between the ages of 7 and 12. Led by trained coaches and volunteers, the FUNdamentals program features fun interactive activities designed …
A Taste of St. Catharines
Much like communities all across the province, St. Catharines-Thorold offers a wide range of sports for its Special Olympics Ontario athletes. Here are just a few stories of teams and athletes in some of those sports. Last summer, the St. Catharines Trappers hosted softball provincial qualifiers. It was a scorching hot day, but all the teams stayed hydrated and had …
Dan Banks and Simone Hubers: Sport Aurora Recognizes SOO Volunteers
Sport Aurora’s 14th Annual Volunteer Recognition Event took place at Wicked Eats on October 27, 2024. 21 local sports organizations celebrated their Volunteers of the Year. Dan Banks and Simone Hubers were recipients of the Volunteer of the Year awards for their volunteer efforts with Special Olympics Ontario – Aurora. Dan’s Statement— “My volunteer experience with Special Olympics is more than …
Representing Ontario at the 2024 SONA Pickleball Championships
Special Olympics Ontario (SOO) was proud to be included in the 2024 SONA Pickleball Championships from October 17-19. Hosted by Special Olympics South Carolina in Hilton Head, this competition brought together athletes from all across North America. Athletes and coaches from SOO-Meaford & Thornbury proudly represented both Ontario and Canada as they competed with athletes in traditional and unified competition …