Special Olympics North Carolina Inc

SPECIAL OLYMPICS AIMS TO COMBINE HIGH QUALITY SPORTS WITH A WIDE AUDIENCE, AND BE A DRIVING FORCE FOR SOCIAL INCLUSION OF PEOPLE WITH INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES.

THE 2021 YEAR WAS STILL IMPACTED BY THE PANDEMIC BUT WE DID BEGIN TO SEE SOME IN-PERSON ACTIVITY RETURN DURING THE YEAR. THE VIRTUAL SERIES OF FITNESS AND WELLNESS WEBINARS LED BY PROFESSIONALS CONTINUED DURING 2021 AND WAS VERY POPULAR AMONG THE SPECIAL OLYMPICS UNIFIED CHAMPION SCHOOLS. WE ALSO CONTINUED WITH ONLINE SPORTS TRAINING SESSIONS FOR PARTICIPANTS TO TAKE PART AS WELL AS OTHER IN-HOME TRAINING MATERIALS FOR ATHLETES WITH AND WITHOUT ACCESS TO ONLINE TECHNOLOGY. MOST IN-PERSON ACTIVITY WAS THROUGH OUTDOOR SPORTS HELD AS ONE-DAY-ONLY EVENTS. THE EMPHASIS THROUGH IN-PERSON ACTIVITY WAS LESS ON COMPETITION AND MORE ON TRAINING AND BASIC SPORT SKILL DEVELOPMENT. IN A NON-PANDEMIC YEAR, SONC WOULD USUALLY PROVIDE OVER 400 SPECIAL OLYMPICS COMPETITION EVENTS AT LOCAL, AREA, AND STATE LEVELS AND HAVE DELEGATIONS FROM NC PARTICIPATING IN REGIONAL OR NATIONAL COMPETITION EVENTS. COMPETITION SERVES AS A REWARD FOR TRAINING AND HARD WORK, AND ITS LARGE SCALE NATURE IS AN IMPORTANT VEHICLE FOR PUBLIC AWARENESS OF SPECIAL OLYMPICS, WITH VOLUNTEERS, PEERS, CLASSMATES, FAMILY MEMBERS, SPONSORS, AND THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE BECOMING ENGAGED AND INVOLVED. RELATED COSTS INCLUDE TRANSPORTATION, HOUSING, MEALS, AWARDS, EVENT AND COMPETITION FACILITIES, SPORT AND EVENT EQUIPMENT, AND PUBLICATIONS.

SPECIAL OLYMPICS NORTH CAROLINA PROVIDES YEAR-ROUND SPECIAL OLYMPICS SPORTS TRAINING AND COMPETITION THROUGH COUNTY-BASED SUB-ACCREDITED LOCAL PROGRAMS. AT THE LOCAL LEVEL, SPECIAL OLYMPICS VOLUNTEERS REACH AND ENGAGE CHILDREN AND ADULTS WITH INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES; RECRUIT VOLUNTEERS, INCLUDING COACHES; AND IMPLEMENT EIGHT-WEEK TRAINING PROGRAMS IN 20 SPORTS. IN 2021, MORE THAN 10,000 PARTICIPANTS TOOK PART IN VIRTUAL AND AT-HOME ACTIVITIES DUE TO THE PANDEMIC. THESE VIRTUAL SESSIONS FOCUSED ON FITNESS AND WELLNESS PROGRAMS TO KEEP EVERYONE ENGAGED FROM A PHYSICAL FITNESS PERSPECTIVE. COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH THESE ACTIVITIES INCLUDED FITNESS ITEMS, T-SHIRTS, EDUCATIONAL PUBLICATIONS, AND SHIPPING/POSTAGE.

IN A TYPICAL YEAR, SPECIAL OLYMPICS RELIES ON THE ENERGY, EXPERTISE, AND COMMITMENT OF OVER 43,000 VOLUNTEERS EACH YEAR TO CARRY OUT YEAR-ROUND SPORTS TRAINING, COMPETITION, AND HEALTH/WELLNESS OPPORTUNITIES FOR NEARLY 40,000 REGISTERED ATHLETES. SPECIAL OLYMPICS RECRUITS VOLUNTEERS OF ALL AGES, BACKGROUNDS, AND AVAILABILITY TO SERVE ROLES THAT INCLUDE EVENT PLANNING, ATHLETE OUTREACH, COORDINATION OF LOGISTICS, SPORT DEVELOPMENT TEAM MEMBERS, RECRUITMENT OF OTHER VOLUNTEERS, UNIFIED CHAMPION SCHOOLS, HEALTH INITIATIVES, AND MUCH MORE. VOLUNTEER COACHES ARE ESSENTIAL TO PROVIDING QUALITY EXPERIENCES FOR PARTICIPATING ATHLETES, AND THROUGH THE SPECIAL OLYMPICS NORTH CAROLINA COACHES' CERTIFICATION PROCESS THESE VOLUNTEERS ARE TRAINED TO MEET THE UNIQUE NEEDS OF PEOPLE WITH INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES.