Provincial News Update F A L L

We hope this package provides you with the information needed to plan your programs and keep current with Special Olympics Ontario news and initiatives. Each section highlights the specific programs managed by our provincial staff. Please feel free to give us feedback or send us any questions regarding the details in this package.

Your District Developers: Northern Ontario Hellaina Rothenburg [email protected] EXT. 276 Eastern Ontario Stacey McKeown [email protected] EXT. 278 Greater Ottawa Community and Marketing Developer Jason Hussak [email protected] EXT. 279

Highlights: 

Central Ontario Hellaina Rothenburg [email protected] EXT. 276 Greater Toronto Area Michael Chung [email protected] EXT. 256 Karla Williams [email protected] EXT. 255

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South Central Ontario Pratima Bhatt [email protected] EXT. 272 South Western Ontario Kaitlyn Banuelos [email protected] EXT. 275

Informed by our members, we have recently undergone a review of our vision, values and mission statements for Special Olympics in Canada. The insert on page 2 formulates the newest version of our Vision, Mission, and Values! Check it out! Ever wanted some fast facts to share with athletes, volunteers, or community members? Flip to pages 3 & 4 for some ready-to-use details! There are so many Major Games & Competitions updates and upcoming events that they’re practically bursting the seams of this PNU! Check out pages 5-7 for all you need to know about 2018 PQs, 2018 National Games, and 2019 Provincial Games & Championships!

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Please see page 8 for a reminder on Coaching Certifications heading into Provincial, National, and World Games cycles! You won’t want to miss this information!

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The 2017 Provincial Award Winners have been announced and will be honoured at SOO’s AGM in October. Please see page 13 for a full listing of this year’s amazing award recipients. Congratulations!

Contact Us:

65 Overlea Boulevard #200 Toronto, ON M4H 1P1 1-888-333-5515

www.specialolympicsontario.com

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E D I T I O N

I nside this Issue: Mission, Vision, and Vales

2

SOO: Fast Facts

3-4

Major Games & Competition

5-7

Coaching Matters

8

School & Youth Programs

9

Partners in Play

10

Marketing

11

Provincial Award Winners

12

Finance

13

LETR

14

A Little Good News

15

Resources & Social Media

16

SPECIAL OLYMPICS ONTARIO VISION, MISSION & VALUES

VISION Our vision is that sport will open hearts and minds towards people with intellectual disabilities and

create inclusive communities all across Ontario.

MISSION Special Olympics Ontario is dedicated to enriching the lives of Ontarians with intellectual disabilities through sport.

VALUES EMPOWERMENT: We create opportunities to pursue full potential. EXCELLENCE: We elevate standards and performance. RESPECT: We operate in an environment of cooperation, collaboration and dignity. DIVERSITY: We honour what is unique in each individual. INCLUSION: We foster inclusive communities.

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SPECIAL OLYMPICS ONTARIO Important Facts

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OUR MISSION: Special Olympics Ontario is dedicated to enriching the lives of Ontarians with intellectual disabilities through sport.

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Special Olympics is more than an event – Special Olympics Ontario delivers year-round world-class sport programs to people with intellectual disabilities daily in communities across Ontario

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Special Olympics Ontario’s programs cater to all ages and a wide range of abilities: 

We have programs for children (2 years+), youth, and adults

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We provide an introduction to sport and physical activity, programs that offer daily training and local competition, and the opportunity to participate in high-performance competition

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Special Olympics programs are delivered by trained coaches and dedicated volunteers 

We continue to grow, with 23,000+ athletes (including over 10,000 student athletes) and 10,000+ volunteers in our movement today

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Special Olympics believes that people with intellectual disabilities can, and will, succeed when given the opportunity – we are leveling the playing field

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Special Olympics uses the transformative power and joy of sport to reveal the full potential of athletes with intellectual disabilities

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Special Olympics Ontario is the only organization in Ontario to provide grassroots sport programs and competition opportunities, from the local level to the world level, for people with intellectual disabilities

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Special Olympics is a catalyst for social change. Our programs help: 

Instill confidence, self-esteem and other life skills in our athletes

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Contribute to healthier athletes with life-long physical fitness habits

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Change attitudes and create a more inclusive society

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Strengthen communities

For every $1 invested in Special Olympics community sport programs in Ontario, a minimum of $7 of social benefit is created through improved athlete physical and mental health and increased athlete employment. Our research tells us that, when compared with individuals with an ID who are not engaged in Special Olympics, our athletes experience the following health and lifestyle benefits: 

10% fewer athletes who are obese or overweight, vs average individuals with ID

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20% fewer athletes with anxiety disorders due to access to sport vs average individuals with ID

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Improved lifespan, and significantly improved overall health for Special Olympics athletes

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16% higher employment rate for Special Olympics athletes vs average individuals with ID

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Special Olympics is the largest global health organization dedicated to serving people with an intellectual disability. The Healthy Athletes Program delivers education and health screening services to athletes with Intellectual Disabilities regarding healthy lifestyle choices.

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Special Olympics is a charitable organization that relies on public, corporate, and government support to deliver low-to-no cost athletic programs in communities across Ontario

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Major Games & Competition 2018 National Games Special Olympics Canada will be hosting two individual National Events: 

2018 National Bowling Championships (5 pin and 10pin bowling) May 14 – 18, 2018, Prince Edward Island

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2018 National Summer Games (9 remaining sports from Spring and Summer Games) July 30 – August 5, 2018, Nova Scotia

364 Athletes, 84 Coaches, and 12 Mission Staff, 1 Team Manager and 1 Chef de Mission for a total of 462 team members. Athlete Identification:  Results received from provincial games  Quotas are received from S.O.C. The Team Ontario quotas are tabulated to ensure there is proportional representation from both genders and all age groups in relation to participation at provincial games.  Final results are tabulated to form the athlete/team rankings for each sport.  Athlete endorsement process takes place from community, coach, and parent.  Athlete list is finalized Mission Staff / Coach selection process:  Mission staff and coach applications are received  All applications are reviewed for certifications  Selection committee is formed.  All applications are ranked by selection committee members. Ranking based on the following:  Certifications, S.O.O. and Generic sport experience, Major Games experience, Gender requirements, Succession Planning for new coaches etc.  Endorsement from the Community  Final review of applications with selection committee  Mission Staff and coaches are selected.

Athlete identification and endorsement is underway for the Team Ontario selection. Official team announcements will begin October 1, 2017. Special Olympics Ontario would like to congratulate Elaine Willcock, who has been selected as the Team Manager for the 2018 National Summer Games.

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Provincial Team Liaisons and Family Liaisons Needed for the 2018 National Games We are recruiting Provincial Team Liaisons (PTL) in each district of the province. This position is a volunteer position and does not travel with the team to National Games. The main responsibilities of the PTL are the dissemination of information to the team members within their district, the monitoring and collection of Games Registration Forms, arranging for uniform fittings, assisting with uniform delivery, organizing ground transportation as needed, and Family Liaison Communications. We will require 1-3 PTLs per district, based on the number of team members in a district. Monthly conferences will be required. This position is best suited to the parents of athletes who are attending the National Games.

A full job description can be found here !

2019 Provincial Winter Games: January 31 – February 3, 2019: Sault Ste. Marie Special Olympics Ontario will partner with the Sault Ste. Marie Police Service to host the 2019 Provincial Winter Games. Constable Shaun Beaulieu will take the lead as the Games Manager for the event and has already recruited several members of his Games Organizing Committee. Sault Ste. Marie last hosted the provincial games in 2001 with great success and have stated that these games will be even better than our last games! Provincial Qualifiers will be hosted in the Winter of 2017/2018 for advancement to the 2019 Provincial Winter Games.

2019 Provincial 5 Pin Bowling Championships Special Olympics Canada has officially moved 5 Pin Bowling from the summer sport season to the winter sport season. After 2018, the 5 Pin National Bowling Championships will be moved to the 2020 National Winter Games to be hosted in Thunder Bay.

Special Olympics Ontario will be hosting the Provincial 5 Pin Bowling Championships in the spring of 2019. As a result, the provincial qualifiers for 5 Pin Bowling will now be hosted in the Winter of 2018. Any questions regarding this event or these changes can be directed to Juli at [email protected]

2019 Canada Winter Games – Figure Skating The 2019 Canada Winter Games will be held from February 15 – March 3, 2019 in Red Deer, AB. Two male skaters, two female skaters, and one coach will be selected to attend the Canada Games as members of Team Ontario. One alternate skater for each gender will also be named but will not travel to the games. The selection process for Canada Games will include:  Eligible Skaters identified based on the Canada Games Technical Package;  March 2018, the selection committee will attend the Special Olympics Canada Games Selection Event / Skate Canada Competitions to assess the skaters;  Results from the Selection Committee Assessments will be reviewed and applied to the selection criteria;  Four skaters will be identified. All skaters will proceed through an endorsement process and the selection will be finalized. For more information, please contact Juli Prokopchuk Brattan at [email protected].

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2018 Provincial Qualifiers The winter season is fast approaching. As such, we have finalized the conferences for the 2017-18 Winter Provincial Qualifying cycle. There have been some changes, so please review the conferencing information included. For future reference, all conference alignments can be found on the Information Portal, Section 14, under the appropriate sport pages.

Updated 2017-18 Winter Conferencing: 5-Pin Bowling Alpine Skiing Curling

Figure Skating Floor Hockey Nordic Skiing Snowshoeing Speed Skating We are still receiving applications to host the Winter Provincial Qualifiers. If your community is interested in hosting an event, please complete the 2018 Winter Provincial Qualifying Bid form, or send an email to Jarrod Copland, Sport and Competition Developer, [email protected].

IM Leagues - Coming Soon! IM Leagues is the next step in innovation for our team sports! IM Leagues is an online tournament software that will allow tournament hosts to register teams, collect registration fees, display standings, results, statistics, and more. This will allow athletes and coaches to track past performances and year to year statistics, either at the computer or through a mobile app. It will also allow parents and supporters at home to follow along with the action with the possibility of live updates. This software will also allow for more accurate divisioning at Invitationals and Provincial Qualifiers as historical records, stats, and skills assessments can all be tracked for participating teams. Please note that registration is required prior to use. In order to register, you will need to provide your SOO Registration Number. To create an IML account, please visit www.imleagues.com and create an account.

Events Registration Special Olympics Ontario is launching a NEW Event Registration page. Volunteers will be able to visit the page to register for NCCP courses, competitions and upcoming local and provincial events. Check it out today: www.specialolympicsontario.com/event-registration

If you would like to have an event added to the Event Registration page please contact your District Developer.

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Coaching Matters

The Locker

The Locker has been developed by the Coaching Association of Canada to support its mission of enhancing the experience of all Canadian athletes through quality coaching. Special Olympics has partnered with CAC to provide coaching certification credits for its Community and Competition Coach training as well as several sport specific coach trainings. Special Olympics coaches are required to maintain a specified level of NCCP coaching qualifications in order, as determined by their sport and coaching stream (see Information Portal section 10.3.2a). Access to The Locker provides all coaches with the opportunity to track their progress and guide their development. Moving forward into future Provincial Games cycles, coaches wishing to apply for coaching roles will be required to complete all coaching certification requirements prior to making their application and provide their NCCP number on the application. If all coaching requirements have not been obtained the coach’s application will not be considered. To obtain your NCCP number and access your coaching transcript in The Locker visit www.thelocker.coach.ca . If you are unable to access your transcript you must contact CAC to regain access by calling 613-235-5000.

National Coaches Week September 23-30 marks National Coaches Week, and we at Special Olympics Ontario want to pass along our heartfelt thanks to all of our coaches. Our coaches are integral to SOO’s ability to offer quality programs to Special Olympics athletes, and the hard work and dedication is something that SOO and all of the athletes are very thankful for. THANK YOU COACHES!

Coaching Athletes with a Disability—A new e-Learning Course Special Olympics Canada is THRILLED to officially launch (alongside the Canadian Paralympic Team and the Coaching Association of Canada) a new National Coaching Certification Program – Coaching Athletes with a Disability. This e-Learning module provides coaches with the knowledge and training to ensure high quality, sport experiences for athletes with behavioural, intellectual, physical and sensory disabilities. This is an amazing resource for our coaches and we’re excited it’s ready to be used and just in time for National Coaches’ Week, kicking off on Saturday, September 23, 2017! Please note that this is not a compulsory course. Check out the press release for more info! http://www.specialolympics.ca/news/coaching-associationcanada-launches-coaching-athletes-disability-nccp-elearning-module

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School & Youth Programs School Championships With September comes the start of our School Programs team’s favourite time of year—the new school year! 2017/2018 is certainly shaping up to be our biggest and best school year yet, with additions and improvements to both our resources and events for students of all ages! Specific to our secondary school programs, our School Championships program will see 61 in-person qualifiers this season across the province in the sports of soccer, basketball, bocce, and floor hockey. As a pilot project this year, our track & field qualifiers will be solely virtual in an effort to involve all schools, no matter their size, and enable students to enter times from other board-run track meets. Once again, all qualifiers will feature a Unified division this season. All students will be vying for the opportunity to qualify and compete at the 2018 School Championships, which will be hosted May 29-31 in Peterborough. Based on the successes of last season, we will be doubling the amount of badminton events offered this year, and will host eight single-day badminton events in the Spring. Students will have the option of participating in skills development and recreational play, or competitive games throughout the day.

Finally, we are excited to introduce our new hosting program, available to schools interested in hosting an elementary or secondary event. Schools are able to involve their student-body in volunteering and assisting in the planning and execution of the events. Information on the School Championships program, along with all of our programs offered within Elementary and Secondary schools can be found on our website at: http://specialolympicsontario.com/schools

Elementary & Youth As a Youth Program Developer, a crucial component of the job is to develop and maintain relationships with families; parents, to be more specific. Working with Special Olympics Ontario’s youngest athletes means ensuring that families are ‘in the know’ about what we do and why we do it.

In Toronto there is an Active Start program running in Regent Park for young athletes aged 2-6. In that program is a 4-year-old athlete, Alma, who attends every week with her mom, Mel. Alma has a rare diagnosis called Williams Syndrome and her mom has gone from never having heard of Williams Syndrome to being the President of the Ontario Chapter of the Canadian Association for Williams Syndrome (CAWS) in just four short years. This is important to note because Mel and Josh (Special Olympics Ontario’s Youth Program Developer) have developed a close friendship that revolves around working together and pooling capacities and ideas to ensure Special Olympics Ontario and CAWS work together to raise awareness about what Williams Syndrome is and how Special Olympics Ontario can help! In the past 2 years, Mel and Josh have collaborated on program development, presented together at conferences, shared ideas on program expansion, introduced each other to interested volunteers and partners, and grown together towards a common goal—providing meaningful and sustainable programs for people with intellectual disabilities. Parents are a key component of the Special Olympics movement and as Mel says; “no one cares as much as I do.”

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Partners in Play The Partners in Play (PIP) initiative, which fosters the development of partnerships between Special Olympics and community sport organizations, has continued to create opportunities for Special Olympics athletes to participate in new programs. One of our partners, Swimability Canada, currently offers Learn-to-Swim programs for younger athletes in 9 communities throughout Ontario. These programs provide an opportunity for our younger athletes to develop their swimming skills in a one-on-one situation. For some of our athletes, this is the first step in their long-term athletic development which may eventually lead to participating in Special Olympics competitions. In addition, Swimability athletes and volunteers are exposed to what Special Olympics Ontario has to offer. It is truly a win-win situation for both organizations. Check out their website at http://www.canada.swimability.org/ to see if there is a program near you. There are over 40 Partner programs that have made the connection with Special Olympics Ontario. New volunteers are displaying their passion and dedication to Special Olympics and sport. Athletes are developing their physical, social, and cognitive skills, while enhancing their confidence and self-esteem through participation in these programs. The positive effects of being a Special Olympics Partner In Play program has been well received in the communities. Our partner programs can be found on the PIP website at http://specialolympicsontario.net/play/ As we continue to address the underlying issues of capacity, access, and equity for younger athletes in a community, we are always looking for new sport organizations and partners (in any of our sports) who have the passion and commitment to get involved with Special Olympics Ontario as a Partner in Play program. If you are involved with or know of a local sport group that would be interested in getting involved with Partners in Play, please contact us! Contact us:

Garry McLean: [email protected] http://specialolympicsontario.net/play/

Special Feature On Friday, September 1st, the Ottawa Champions Baseball Club from the Can-Am League welcomed some of our own champions from the Special Olympics Ontario Provincial Summer Games. The club hosted a “Special Olympics Night”, honouring Ottawa-based Special Olympics athletes, and recognizing the accomplishments of the Ottawa athletes at the Provincial Summer Games. A special pregame ceremony welcomed athletes onto the field and spotlighted their results at the Provincial Summer Games, while Chris Brownlee, who participated in softball, threw out the first pitch. The Ottawa Champions also helped with fundraising for local programs during the game, with proceeds from ticket sales and a 50/50 draw being donated to Special Olympics Ontario – Greater Ottawa. Thank you to all the athletes, coaches, and volunteers who came out for this special night, and thank you to the Ottawa Champions and the Ottawa community for their support!

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#ShareADream

Marketing And The Winners Are...

This year The 2017 Knights of Columbus (KOC) marked the Charities Lottery took place on July 13 21st year of in Hamilton. This year’s lottery partnership consisted of 500 prizes, with a value of between over $500,000. In attendance for the Staples draw were members of Niagara Canada and Regional Police Service, Hamilton Special Olympics Canada. Through two Police Service, Knights of Columbus decades of support, the Staples Give a Council members and Special Olympics athletes. Toonie, Share a Dream campaign has raised more than $7 million for Canada’s Special Since the beginning of the lottery program, over 40 years ago, the Knights of Columbus Ontario Olympics athletes. Charities Foundation has donated This year’s campaign ran from May 6-28 and over $10 million to local non-profit raised $628,136 nationwide! organizations across Ontario. Special Olympics Ontario is We are grateful for Staples’ amazing honoured to continue as a support of the movement and we look beneficiary of proceeds from this forward to continuing the partnership for annual event. years to come! Click here to view more images from this All winning ticket numbers can be found here. campaign and past campaigns.

50 for 150 A small group of amateur swimmers from Aurora swam across 50KM across Lake Ontario to commemorate Canada’s 150th birthday, Special Olympics 50th Anniversary with the goal of raising $50,000; hence the“50 for 150”.

Thank you to all supporters to help exceeded the goal and raise over $57,000! The team began the swim at 4:00 pm on Friday, August 25 from Niagara on the Lake and finished at 7:00 am on Saturday, August 26 at National Yacht Club in Toronto.

To read more about the swim and team click here.

What a difference a day will make on October 21, 2017 CrossFit gyms across the country will participate in the 6th annual CF24, with participants working to complete 24 separate workouts (WODS) every hour on the hour. Special Olympics athletes attend the events, cheering on the athletes, participating in some WODS and engaging with local community members. Since 2011, over $300,000 has been donated to the Special Olympics Canada Foundation. This unique event has not only raised funds and awareness of Special Olympics and the transformative power of sport – it has also built friendships between local gym members and Special Olympics athletes. Some gyms across the province continue to invite Special Olympics athletes weekly for fitness training and fun! Click here to learn more about CF24

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Congratulations to the 2017 Provincial Award Recipients! Special Olympics Ontario is pleased to announce and congratulate the 2017 Provincial Award Recipients. Awards will be presented to the winners at the Annual General Meeting & Provincial Sport Awards Banquet, scheduled for Wednesday, October 18th at the Delta Hotel by Marriott, Toronto East, Ontario.

2017 Provincial Award Recipients Athlete Lifetime Achievement Award – Steve Caban Female Athlete of the Year Award – Valerie Nyhout Male Athlete of the Year Award – Jack Fan Female Coach of the Year Award – Rachel Mathews Male Coach of the Year Award – Taylor Ablitt Volunteer of the Year – Jane Larkworthy President’s Award – Duane Carson Educator of the Year Award – Andy Dermatas School Athlete of the Year Award – Gohulan Rajalingam Team of the Year Award – Timmins Soccer Team Head coach – Albert Seale Coach – Diane Wahlman and Derek Thibeault Athletes – Tina Labelle, Eric Ouellet, David Jackson, Joshua Armstrong, Jason Tremblay, Joshua Wahlman, Samantha Leblanc, Julie Plourde School Team of the Year Award – Cardinal Newman CSS Soccer Team Coach – Gerry Moretuzzo and Dan Mazzuca Athletes – Chasson McKerracher, Michael Di Pietro, Caleb Baxter, Nicholas Pontillo, Nicholas Morel, Evan Plesa

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Finance Frequently Asked Financial Questions Q. I am a new treasurer, can you recommend an accounting program to keep my community’s finances? A. Any commercially available accounting program (i.e. Quick books or Simply Accounting) is suitable for maintaining a set of books in your community, though these programs can require some computer accounting knowledge and skill to use. Special Olympics Ontario offers an excel workbook that can be used to do your community’s finances. Information is entered in the appropriate monthly tab and will auto populate into an Income Statement Financial Report you can present at your council meetings to provide to your district developer. Additionally, this workbook will track your HST allowing you to easily complete HST Rebate requests. Q. A local DJ is donating his services for our annual banquet and has requested a tax receipt, how do I do this? A. When a person or business donates goods or property to a community they may be eligible for a Giftin-Kind Tax receipt. A donation of time or service is not property and does not qualify for a gift in kind receipt. In order for the service provider to receive a donation receipt, the community should pay for the service rendered. The service provider must then write a cheque for the same amount back to the SOO community as a donation. Q. I have a deposit to make for my Special Olympics Community, can I just go to my local Royal Bank? A. Special Olympics Ontario utilizes a centralized banking system. All deposits must be mailed to Special Olympics Ontario with a completed Deposit and Transaction Record form. Any cash to be deposited should be converted to a money order prior to being mailed. The cost to obtain the money order will be reimbursed to the community if the receipt is attached to the Deposit Record and the amount is indicated on the bottom of the form. Q. Can my community keep a Petty Cash fund? A. Keeping a petty cash is not a practice that Special Olympics endorses. If items need to be purchased and the vendor will not bill the Special Olympics Community for payment, a volunteer can make the purchase and submit for reimbursement from the community bank account. Q. The community council wants to purchase volunteer and athlete appreciation gifts, how much can we spend? A. Canada Customs and Revenue agency recommends that no more than 5% of your community’s annual operating budget be spent on appreciation gifts and events. If your community has an operating budget of $50,000.00, the amount that can be spent on all appreciation items and events combined should total no more than $2,500 in that fiscal year.

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Law Enforcement Torch Run

LETR 30th Anniversary #BEAFAN Campaign a Success!

Over the past 30 years there has been no greater supporter of Special Olympics Ontario than the LETR. During Police Week, Special Olympics athletes, volunteers, politicians, and the general public showed their admiration of the LETR on social media using the hashtag #BeaFan. We are grateful for the amazing support. With the endorsement of the Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police, the first Law Enforcement Torch Run in Ontario was held in 1987 under the guidance of Cst. Lorne White (Toronto Police) and generated $100,000 in funds. We proudly enter our 30th Anniversary with over $40 MILLION raised for Special Olympics, including a record $1.9 MILLION in 2016. The success and support of the Law Enforcement Torch Run over the years has been unprecedented. Since the Torch Run began its partnership with Special Olympics Ontario, the number of registered athletes has grown from under 4,000 to greater than 22,000 athletes today. As a result, SOO can essentially look into the future with security and recognize that it is possible to continue to expand its services to the increasing number of athletes.

$1.7 Million Raised for Special Olympics!

On Monday, June 12, 2017 the Ontario Law Enforcement Torch Run (OLETR) participated in the Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police (OACP) Conference at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Kitchener, Ontario. During the ceremonies, the OLETR presented a cheque for $1.7 million to Special Olympics Ontario. The contributions are from the 2016/17 fiscal year (July 1, 2016 - June 30, 2017) and add to an amazing total of over $40 million raised since 1987 for Special Olympics Ontario.

World

Games

Final

Leg

Recap

The 2017 Law Enforcement Torch Run Final Leg for the Special Olympics World Winter Games was held between March 9-18, 2017. The Flame of Hope was carried through 47 cities, towns and communities across Austria before arriving at the WM-Stadium Planai in Schladming as part of the Opening Ceremony for the 2017 Special Olympics World Winter Games on Saturday, 18 March 2017. S/Sgt Jody Armstrong from the Kingston Police Force represented Ontario and took place in the Run in Austria. Congratulations on a job well done Jody!

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Great Wolf Lodge Raises $132,000 for Special Olympics! Niagara Regional Police partnered with Great Wolf Lodge on May 25th and raised $132,000 for the Provincial School Championships. Despite torrential downpour, the event continued and the unprecedented net proceeds of $132,000 was collected for Special Olympics. Thank you Great Wolf Lodge for this incredible event!

Barrie Police Celebrate Local World Games Athletes Deputy Chief Carlson and members of the Barrie Police Service had the opportunity to congratulate Special Olympics Ontario athletes Michael Wimbs and David Whyne. Together Michael and David represented Canada winning a Gold, Silver and Bronze medal in the downhill skiing events at the 2017 Special Olympics World Winter Games, hosted in Austria. Jade Irvine represented Canada and brought home a Silver Medal in the 4x100 snowshoe relay event. Barrie Police had the opportunity to congratulate Jade last week while at Andrew Hunter Elementary School, during the Special Olympics PAHL Sports Festival, which is aimed at getting kids into sports at a young age. Congratulations and thank you for representing Canada.

A Little Good News A New Summer Highlight: The Chedoke Chippers One of the greatest summer pleasures happening weekly in Hamilton is the growth and development of the Hamilton Special Olympic Novice Golf Program. What started with three athletes that were new to golf, a handful of volunteers that were new to Special Olympics, the Chedoke Civic Golf Club who provided a place to play, and a few parents that were willing to bring them all together, has developed into a strong, committed, and successful team.

Now known as the Chedoke Chippers, this golf team has grown to 9 athletes, 3 coaches, 8 volunteers and 1 team manager. Over the three years that the team has been running, the athletes have shown remarkable improvement in their knowledge and skill for the game; but more importantly, what they have derived from their evenings at Chedoke is a sense of community, a sense of belonging, and a sense of inclusion — and this has enhanced their demeanor, their outlook and their selfconfidence. What a success story! The “Chippers” are grateful to their coaches and volunteers, to the Chedoke Civic Golf Club, and to Hamilton Special Olympics for supporting this program and for allowing them to pursue this most excellent summer sport.

Striving for Worlds and Inspiring a Community Along the Way

What happens when a local Special Olympics athlete has a dream and the determination to get there? Only time can Photo courtesy of Dax Melmer of the Windsor Star tell for sure, but time and time again, we hear stories of Special Olympics athletes inspiring individuals and communities along the journey of finding out where their drive and their talents will take them. Check out this article in the Windsor Star, which highlights LaSalleWindsor golfer, Kyle Spearing (Special Olympics North American champion), in his quest to qualify for the 2019 Summer Games in Abu Dhabi.

There is a long journey ahead before we will know whether Kyle will earn a spot on the National Team en route to the UAE, but we know for certain he and so many other Special Olympics athletes will turn heads and inspire us all before any National Team members are determined. Well done Kyle, and keep up the amazing work!

Spectacular Success in Sarnia! For several years, our Special Olympics community in Sarnia offered one sport program. The community had a small group of dedicated and passionate volunteers and a group of athletes who loved to participate. In the Fall of 2016, SOO ran a volunteer Open House event to try to generate some increased volunteer interest with the hopes of expanding the Special Olympics reach to those in the Sarnia-Lambton area. Fast forward about one year – Sarnia has seen incredible growth in the number of volunteers, athletes, and sport programs that are quickly becoming a flagship part of the landscape of the community. A Community Council has been created, and volunteer recruitment initiatives continue to be successful, enabling the community to expand its sport program offerings. Additional coaches have made it possible for Sarnia to expand into offering six sports: swimming, basketball, powerlifting, bowling, soccer, and floor hockey, and the council continues to look for ways to partner in the community to continue to add more sports, and increase awareness of Special Olympics at the local level. Congratulations to the talented and dedicated group of volunteers in the Sarnia community on a job so well done. We look forward to the continued growth we know you will achieve – and we’re sure we’ll see you out at local, conference, and provincial-level competitions soon enough! Be sure to offer them a renewed welcome to the Special Olympics family when you see them at future events!

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Resources Special Olympics Ontario Website: http://www1.specialolympicsontario.com/ Special Olympics Ontario Information Portal: http://info.specialolympicsontario.ca New Athlete Registration: http://athlete.specialolympicsontario.ca New Volunteer Registration: http://volunteer.specialolympicsontario.ca Insurance Requests: http://go.specialolympicsontario.ca/insurance Supplies Requests (buttons, balloons, brochures): [email protected] Law Enforcement Torch Run: http://torchrunontario.com National Coaching Certification Program (transcripts): http://coach.ca Coaches Ontario (multi-sport course calendar): http://coachesontario.ca

Social Media Don’t forget to join the conversation. For news, updates, and more, make sure you follow Special Olympics Ontario on the following platforms. Help to spread the word; encourage others to follow and like us, too!

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