This year we resolve to…?    

How do you ________________fill in your blank?

At Special Olympics our goal is to expand public mindsets and opinions to truly understand what we do within our communities. If we were to ask you what “Special Olympics” is, ….what would you answer? For many it would be “The Special Olympics Games”. An annual event we host that elicits images of athletes holding up medals or crossing the finish line to cheers of applause and smiling faces.

We are much more than a dedicated network of 340 coaches offering over 160 weekly programs supported by 450 volunteers for 1700 athletes in Nova Scotia, alone.

We are inspired to deliver • Advisors for proactive government policy to advocate social change for families • Builders of over 20 Nova Scotian communities with regional chapters, parental support groups, youth and health teams • Trainors of athletes in competitive sports that set national sports records like Jackie Barrett • Organizers of health and wellness programs such as FunFitness, Opening Eyes, Special Smiles, and Healthy Hearing • Connectors and sources of support for a network of social assistance programs and providers including NSDSS and RRS

Most notably, we have been given the opportunity to #changethegame by implementing the first Play Unified sport program in Canada. Play Unified offers school sport programs for elementary and high school athletes with an intellectual disability to play side by side with their school mates to break the stereotypes of those living with a disability amongst our next generational leaders.

We need your support in order to support our Athletes, communities and families.

You can be inspired too!

• Join us to celebrate on January 27th and be inspired by our Athletes and Families purchase a Special ONS gala ticket 2016
• Sponsor a Special Olympic Athlete to attend the inspired celebration and purchase a gala ticket for them
• Be there ‘virtually’ and text to donate: TEAMNS to 20222 to donate $10 to Special Olympics Nova Scotia on January 27th

We hope with your inspiration and our intentions we meet to celebrate our athletes and reach our fundraising goal of $75,000 for 2016!

One thing is true.  Special Olympics is “sticky.”

Each year at our Special Olympics Gala we celebrate the accomplishments of our heroes – coaches, athletes, volunteers, officials and teams. Listening to these amazing people share their reasons why they give their time so selflessly to others in their community is always inspiring.  Here at Special Olympics Nova Scotia, we do all we can to move the organization forward in a way that ensures it’s stability for the next generation of athletes.

But it is these heroes that have the best jobs of all of us.

Daren Simmons, 2015 Male Coach of the Year, said it best.

“Was there a mentor, teacher, coach or other volunteer who made a difference or had an impact in YOUR life?  A person who gave you the courage, determination and zeal to strive to be all that you could be?  Someone who helped shape both your performance and your character?  How fantastic is it that WE can be that important person in someone else’s life.”

The power behind that statement rings true for so many who week after week give up those few valuable work-free hours to dedicate their time to coaching.

Lisa Hines, 2015 Female Coach of the Year, believes in that same passion. For 15 years, she has been volunteering with the Amherst Special Olympics group.  Her commitment to volunteering was instilled in her through her family’s actions.

“Both of my parents were volunteer coaches in our community in Softball and Hockey, as well as community groups, church groups and anywhere else that needed a helping hand.” Lisa continues, “Volunteering for me was always a natural fit, and combining that with sport joins the best of the two worlds that I hold dear.”

So much so, that even though she currently resides in Lawrencetown, her weekends often involve long hours on the road travelling back to Amherst to be with her athletes.  “I saw the wonderful opportunities that the athletes were given and how they give their all in everything they do, and I thought, the least I can do is give them my all too. While I have tried my hand at several different sports, Floor Hockey and Soccer are the two I love the most.”

Lisa has invested in her coaching as well.  She is NCCP certified in Special Olympics Community and Competition, and NCCP Youth Soccer and has also taken online courses in Fair Play/Ethical Decision Making and Concussion Prevention.

“SONS is home for me. The most wonderful, giving, selfless and inspiring people I have ever met proudly wear the SONS logo.”

When you meet Daren Simmons you instantly know that the star qualities that make you coach of the year are a part of all that he does as well. He has committed to being the best he can be through training in his coaching and has Athletics Sport Coach certification, Special Olympics Competition Coach, Multisport Coach and recently added Rhythmic Gymnastics and numerous modules, webinars and conferences to his CV over 13 years.

“You can say that I have an invested interest in Special Olympics with two of our boys heavily involved as athletes.  However, it isn’t something that we dedicate our time to. It is essentially who we are.’

Special Olympics has engrained itself into the very fabric of our athletes, coaches, volunteers and families.  Daren and his wife Kem are true examples of the power of our movement beyond the results on the scoreboard.

“At Special Olympics our coaches and volunteers go further than just teaching the skills and spirit that define an athlete.  Our volunteers are more than just role models and character builders.  They help athletes with intellectual disabilities find their own strengths and their own abilities. They then show them how to build upon those strengths and witness the zeal to strive for improvement.” 

Join us January 27th at the Cunard Centre in Halifax and be inspired by these heroes. Your support provides valuable programming and services to Special Olympic athletes right here in Nova Scotia every day of the week. Buy your tickets today.

When Irving Oil agreed to become presenting sponsor of the World’s Largest Truck Convoy in support of Special Olympics Nova Scotia, the organizers did a dance of joy.

One of those organizers was Anne Marie Shannon, Manager, Events & Communications for Special Olympics N.S. Anne Marie knows all too well the importance of having a caring company like Irving Oil lend their support to one of her organization’s largest and most important fundraising events of the year.

“For a charitable organization like ours, being able to build a relationship and count on a well-established company like Irving Oil is so important,” she said. “We know how much they care about our athletes, professional drivers and the communities where their employees live and work. We’re grateful for their support which ultimately helps us deliver great programs for our 1,700 athletes across Nova Scotia.”

Irving Oil has a long history of supporting the Special Olympics movement, through support of the World’s Largest Truck Convoy here in Nova Scotia, and in the U.S., where they recently celebrated a 16-year partnership that has helped raised more than $3.3 million for Special Olympics in New England.

Through their valuable support for the World’s Largest Truck Convoy, Special Olympics Nova Scotia hopes to have the biggest and best truck convoy yet! Thank you Irving Oil!