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All in-person training and activities are suspended through December 31, at which time Special Olympics Iowa will re-evaluate moving back to Phase 1 of the Return to Play Plan.
12 Days of Special Olympics Iowa

The 12 Days of Special Olympics Iowa, our final event of 2020, is giving athletes, Unified partners, coaches, and fans an opportunity to compete from home and come together virtually. The at-home competition features events in bocce, fitness, and cycling, and the virtual activities will get you ready for the holidays with a variety of festive activities.

We hope to see you at one (or all) of the virtual activities!

Competition Scores Due: Dec. 14
Virtual Activities Run: Dec. 7-18
Brrrtual Polar Plunge
Take the plunge for Special Olympics Iowa your own way from the comfort of your home! You choose your own plunge method and send us pictures and videos. We also encourage you to share your videos and photos on the Facebook event page!  Special prizes will be given for best snowman, best igloo, and best snow angel, as well as best costume, most creative plunge, and of course, top fundraiser.

Date: Dec. 5
Fundraising Minimum: $75
Winter Sports and Competitions Update
Special Olympics Iowa has made the very difficult decision to cancel the in-person 2021 Winter Games scheduled for January 11 - 12, as well as the in-person team basketball season and basketball skills competitions. While this news is incredibly disappointing for all of us, the health and safety of our athletes, volunteers, staff, and partners continue to be the top priority. We hope everyone will pursue their health, fitness, and sports goals by participating in the Team Fit: New Year, Healthy Me training program!
Pen Pal Program Registration Closes Tomorrow
The Special Olympics Iowa Pen Pal Program is working to keep athletes, Unified partners, coaches, and fans connected through handwritten letters while we all do our part to stay healthy. Registration is open through tomorrow, December 4, and Pen Pal pairings will be sent out on December 9.


Team Fit: New Year, Healthy Me
We are excited to announce that we will be kicking off 2021 with an off-season training program. Team Fit: New Year, Healthy Me will focus on encouraging athletes to continue pursuing their health, fitness, and sports goals through the winter months by completing daily focused activities. The program will build Unified communities and provide content that athletes can access and work through within their homes while they are away from their typical Special Olympics sports practices. 

Team Fit: New Year, Healthy Me will begin on Monday, January 4, and end the last week in February with a fitness competition experience and virtual activities. 

Registration opens today! 
Young Athletes Backpack Kits Coming to an Elementary School Near You!
To help members of our community stay active while in-person training and activities are on hold, Special Olympics Iowa has created Young Athletes Backpack Kits and Challenge Day Kits. The kits include items that can assist with staying active and healthy. While Challenge Day Kits were distributed earlier this fall, Young Athletes Backpack Kits are being distributed to elementary schools now. If you are part of an elementary school that participates in Unified Champion Schools or Young Athletes Play Day programming, be sure to watch for your kit in the mail.
Virtual Youth Leadership Summit
This past month, we hosted our first-ever Virtual Youth Leadership Summit as part of our Unified Champion School programming. During the summit athletes and Unified partners were engaged in conversations about inclusion, exclusion, and everything in the middle. Participants had the opportunity to hear from retired professional football players Jamaal Charles of the Kansas City Chiefs and Ray Roberts of the Seattle Seahawks. Both Jamaal and Ray spoke about the importance of youth leadership and inclusion in our schools.

The Finish Line Youth Foundation
Will Double Your Gift

This holiday season, the Finish Line Youth Foundation is fundraising for our athletes to provide them with new sneakers, free health screenings, and more! Visit your local Finish Line now until December 31 to donate OR visit the Finish Line Youth Foundation page.
Coaches Corner
We are excited to share that Class A Volunteer certification and re-certification can now be completed online in three steps.
  1. Complete the Class A Volunteer Application and background check
  2. Take the Protective Behavior Training and quiz
  3. submit a color photo, passport quality, to classa@soiowa.org