Special Olympics Virginia Inc

SPECIAL OLYMPICS PROVIDES YEAR-ROUND SPORTS TRAINING AND ATHLETIC COMPETITION IN A VARIETY OF OLYMPIC-TYPE SPORTS FOR CHILDREN AND ADULTS WITH INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES, GIVING THEM CONTINUING OPPORTUNITIES TO DEVELOP PHYSICAL FITNESS, DEMONSTRATE COURAGE, EXPERIENCE JOY AND PARTICIPATE IN A SHARING OF GIFTS, SKILLS, AND FRIENDSHIP WITH THEIR FAMILIES, OTHER SPECIAL OLYMPICS ATHLETES AND THE COMMUNITY. OUR PROGRAM, HOWEVER, IS ABOUT MORE THAN JUST SPORTS. SPECIAL OLYMPICS VIRGINIA'S YEAR ROUND PROGRAMS IN HEALTH, EDUCATION AND COMMUNITY BUILDING ADDRESS INACTIVITY, INJUSTICE, INTOLERANCE AND SOCIAL ISOLATION BY ENCOURAGING AND EMPOWERING PEOPLE OF ALL ABILITIES.

AREA PROGRAMS: SPECIAL OLYMPICS VIRGINIA HAS SUB-DIVIDED THE STATE INTO 32 GEOGRAPHIC AREA PROGRAMS IN ORDER TO REACH AS MANY PEOPLE WITH INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES AS POSSIBLE. THESE PROGRAMS GENERALLY CONTAIN SEVERAL CITIES AND COUNTIES. THE VOLUNTEERS IN THESE AREAS RAISE FUNDS FOR THEIR AREA, DECIDE WHAT ACTIVITIES TO OFFER IN THEIR AREA, AND GENERALLY ARE THE GRASSROOTS PROVIDER OF SOVA SERVICES. THESE EVENTS PROVIDE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR ATHLETES TO DISPLAY THEIR CAPABILITIES AND INSPIRE PEOPLE IN THEIR COMMUNITIES AND ELSEWHERE TO OPEN THEIR HEARTS TO A WIDER WORLD OF HUMAN TALENTS AND POTENTIAL. IN ADDITION, REGULAR PHYSICAL ACTIVITY LEADS TO BETTER HEALTH, WHICH IS VERY IMPORTANT TO PEOPLE WITH INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES.

FALL CHAMPIONSHIPS, ONE OF OUR LARGEST STATEWIDE COMPETITIONS, PROVIDES AN OPPORTUNITY FOR ATHLETES TO DISPLAY THEIR CAPABILITIES AND INSPIRE PEOPLE IN THEIR COMMUNITIES AND ELSEWHERE TO OPEN THEIR HEARTS TO A WIDER WORLD OF HUMAN TALENTS AND POTENTIAL. IN ADDITION, REGULAR PHYSICAL ACTIVITY LEADS TO BETTER HEALTH, WHICH IS VERY IMPORTANT TO PEOPLE WITH INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES, WHO ARE 2 TIMES MORE LIKELY TO BE OBESE, 2 TIMES MORE LIKELY TO HAVE CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE, 2-4 TIMES MORE LIKELY TO BE LESS PHYSICALLY ACTIVE, 5 TIMES MORE LIKEY TO HAVE DIABETES AND DIE ON AVERAGE 20 YEARS SOONER THAN THEIR PEERS WITHOUT DISABILITIES. HELD IN NOVEMBER 2021 IN VIRGINIA BEACH, FALL CHAMPIONSHIPS WAS THE FIRST STATE-LEVEL EVENT SINCE MARCH 2020, WHEN PROGRAMMING PAUSED BECAUSE OF THE PANDEMIC. MORE THAN 500 ATHLETES PARTICIPATED IN 6 SPORTS: BOWLING, GOLF, BOCCE, SOCCER, VOLLEYBALL, AND ROLLER SKATING. FOR THE FIRST TIME, WE UTILIZED THE VIRGINIA BEACH SPORTS CENTER FOR BOTH BOCCE COMPETITION AND OUR OPENING CEREMONY, WHICH FEATURED THE LIGHTING OF THE CAULDRON WITH THE HELP OF LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS. ADDITIONALLY, APPROXIMATELY 350 VOLUNTEERS FROM THE AREA HELPED MAKE COMPETITION POSSIBLE.

SPECIAL OLYMPICS UNIFIED CHAMPION SCHOOLS (UCS) INITIATIVES USE SPORTS TO DEVELOP SCHOOL COMMUNITIES WHERE YOUTH ARE AGENTS OF CHANGE - FOSTERING RESPECT, DIGNITY AND ADVOCACY FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES. IN COLLABORATION WITH SCHOOL SYSTEMS ACROSS VIRGINIA, THE VIRGINIA HIGH SCHOOL LEAGUE AND THE VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, OUR GOAL IS TO INSPIRE THE FIRST UNIFIED GENERATION. UCS IS AIMED AT PROMOTING SOCIAL INCLUSION THROUGH INTENTIONALLY PLANNED AND IMPLEMENTED ACTIVITIES AFFECTING SYSTEMS-WIDE CHANGE. WITH SPORTS AS THE FOUNDATION, THE THREE COMPONENT MODEL - INCLUSIVE SPORTS, INCLUSIVE YOUTH LEADERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES, AND WHOLE SCHOOL ENGAGEMENT - OFFERS A UNIQUE COMBINATION OF EFFECTIVE ACTIVITIES THAT EQUIP YOUNG PEOPLE WITH TOOLS AND TRAINING TO CREATE SPORTS, CLASSROOM AND SCHOOL CLIMATES OF ACCEPTANCE. THESE ARE SCHOOL CLIMATES WHERE STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES FEEL WELCOME AND ARE ROUTINELY INCLUDED IN, AND FEEL A PART OF, ALL ACTIVITIES, OPPORTUNITIES AND FUNCTIONS. IN VIRGINIA, WE HAVE 392 ENGAGED SCHOOLS IN 45 JURISDICTIONS, AND 12,970 YOUTH INVOLVED IN UNIFIED SPORTS PROGRAMMING.