Special Olympics Oregon Inc

PROVIDE SPORTS TRAINING AND ATHLETIC COMPETITION FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES.

SPECIAL OLYMPICS OREGON (SOOR) SERVES INDIVIDUALS WITH INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES THROUGH YEAR-ROUND PROGRAMS THAT PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES FOR PARTICIPANTS OF ALL AGES TO DEVELOP PHYSICAL FITNESS, DEMONSTRATE COURAGE, EXPERIENCE JOY, AND PARTICIPATE IN AN ACTIVE AND SUPPORTIVE COMMUNITY. DUE TO THE ON-GOING IMPACT OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC, SPECIAL OLYMPICS OREGON WAS NOT ABLE TO OFFER IN-PERSON PROGRAMMING FOR A LARGE PORTION OF THE YEAR. HOWEVER, SOOR STILL FOUND WAYS TO ENGAGE ATHLETES AND VOLUNTEERS THROUGH VIRTUAL COMPETITIONS, AND THROUGH THE ON-GOING EXPANSION OF SOOR ACTIVE AN ON-LINE WELLNESS COMMUNITY FOCUSING ON FITNESS, WELLNESS, SOCIAL HOURS, EDUCATION, LEADERSHIP, COOKING, DANCE PARTIES, AND MORE. BY THE END OF 2021, THE SOOR ACTIVE FACEBOOK GROUP HAD 1,200 MEMBERS. MORE THAN 250 ATHLETES AND 45 COACHES PARTICIPATED IN A 2021 SPECIAL OLYMPICS OREGON VIRTUAL WINTER SEASON WHICH FEATURED BASKETBALL, TRACK & FIELD, FITNESS AND ESPORTS TRAINING AND COMPETITIONS. ANOTHER 262 ATHLETES AND 45 COACHES PARTICIPATED IN THE 2021 SPECIAL OLYMPICS OREGON SUMMER VIRTUAL GAMES WHICH OFFERED TRACK & FIELD, FITNESS, GOLF, SOCCER AND ESPORTS. FOR BOTH THE WINTER AND SUMMER VIRTUAL GAMES, ATHLETES WERE ASSIGNED TO VIRTUAL COACHES WHO ASSISTED WITH TRAINING (THROUGH ZOOM CONFERENCES, PHONE CALLS, LESSON PLANS) DURING THE SEASON AND THEN HELPED ATHLETES TO SUBMIT COMPETITION SCORES AT THE END OF THE SEASON. PARTICIPANTS WERE ABLE TO ENJOY OPENING, CLOSING AND AWARDS CEREMONIES DURING THESE 8-WEEK SEASONS. ATHLETES ALSO RECEIVED COMMEMORATIVE MEDALS AND INSPIRATIONAL NOTES WRITTEN BY VOLUNTEERS IN THE MAIL TO CELEBRATE THEIR ACCOMPLISHMENTS. NEARLY 1,000 MEDALS WERE AWARDED FOR ACCOMPLISHMENTS IN VARIOUS EVENTS. SOOR CONTINUED TO GROW ITS WEEKLY ESPORTS LEAGUE TO NEARLY 100 PARTICIPANTS WHILE RECEIVING NATIONAL RECOGNITION AND SECURING LONG-TERM SPONSORSHIP FROM PLAYSTATION. ATHLETES PARTICIPATED IN ROCKET LEAGUE AND FORTNITE GAMES AND EVEN HAD OPPORTUNITIES TO COMPETE AGAINST OTHER SPECIAL OLYMPICS PROGRAMS AROUND THE COUNTRY. BY AUGUST 2021, SOOR WAS ABLE TO SHIFT TO LIMITED IN-PERSON SPORTS TRAINING EXPERIENCES AT THE LOCAL LEVEL WHILE REMAINING SAFE AND SOCIALLY DISTANCED. THIS MEANT SMALLER SIZED GATHERINGS AND MASKING. THESE SPORTS TRAININGS PROVED TO BE VERY IMPORTANT AND INSPIRING AS ATHLETES GOT TO REUNITE IN-PERSON WITH TEAMMATES AND COACHES TO SHARE IN THE JOY OF BEING TOGETHER, PLAYING SPORTS AND BEING HEALTHY. SOCIAL CONNECTIONS ARE SOMETHING THAT PEOPLE REALLY MISSED AND EVEN LIMITED RETURN TO IN-PERSON MADE A BIG DIFFERENCE IN THE LIVES OF THOSE WHO PARTICIPATED. SEVERAL HUNDRED ATHLETES AND COACHES WERE ABLE TO EXPERIENCE SPORTS SUCH AS TENNIS, TRACK, BOCCE, GOLF, SOCCER, LONG DISTANCE WALKING AND HIKING AND FITNESS DURING THESE FINAL MONTHS OF THE YEAR. THE UNIFIED CHAMPION SCHOOLS PROGRAM WAS ABLE TO OFFER IN-PERSON INCLUSIVE SPORTS, LEADERSHIP AND SCHOOL-WIDE ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITIES WHILE FOLLOWING SCHOOL DISTRICT GUIDELINES. UNIFIED SOCCER, UNIFIED PE, UNIFIED LEADERSHIP AND OTHER ACTIVITIES ENABLED MEMBER SCHOOLS TO RETURN TO IN-PERSON EXPERIENCES IMPACTING THOUSANDS OF STUDENTS ACROSS THE STATE IN THE EARLY MONTHS OF THE 2021-22 SCHOOL YEAR.