Photo © Courtesy of Special Olympics Ontario
Special Olympics Ontario is dedicated to enriching the lives of Ontarians with an intellectual disability through sport and reaches over 26,000 athletes across the province.
Navigating the present COVID-19 crisis has meant refocusing ourselves; supporting the grassroots of the organization whilst maintaining our integrity and our relevance to athletes, coaches, volunteers, families and the public at large. We recognize that when the current crisis has passed, economic, social and public health restrictions may not permit a return to normal as we know it.
For the near future, a focus on grassroots programming and competition is a strategy that ensures both sustainability of programming, funding and human resources. Hometown Games will be a grassroots initiative that will see communities across the province equipped with the tools, resources and support to develop and host local competitions across a variety of sports. Hometown Games will not only increase the accessibility of sport and competition opportunities to thousands of athletes but will also serve as an opportunity to involve local supporters and businesses as we move forward from challenging times. Any local sporting event will become a Hometown Games opportunity. While activation on the ground may look very different from region to region or community to community, the brand of Special Olympics Hometown Games will be the core identifier to something that is recognizable and marketable province-wide.
The focus will be inclusiveness and access for all to re-engage athletes, families, coaches, volunteers, and sponsors in communities and school programs everywhere. For more information on how you can get involved, contact: games@specialolympicsontario.com
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Our vision is that sport will open hearts and minds towards people with intellectual disabilities and create inclusive communities all across Ontario.
