Champions Celebrated at Summer Games Presented by Pratt & Whitney

We were proud to host our 2023 Summer Games presented by Pratt & Whitney on two consecutive weekends this month, on June 3rd and 4th and 10th and 11th, with tremendous support from sponsors and volunteers. A developmental swimming event at Oxford High School also took place as part of Summer Games on May 23rd.

Summer Games featured competition in soccer, swimming and tennis at Fairfield University and cycling at Yale West Campus during weekend one and track & field at the Yale Dewitt Cuyler Athletic Complex and racewalking and wheelchair events at Southern Connecticut State University during weekend two. In addition, a tennis "fun day", Olympic Town activities and an athlete dance with live music from the band Nick Depuy and the Big Fly kept athletes active and energized in between their events. Healthy Athletes offerings included Fit Feet, Strong Minds, Healthy Hearing, Special Smiles, Massage Therapy, FuNfitness, and Health Promotion education and screenings.

The event gave athletes of all abilities from across the state the opportunity to come together, compete in sports after attending weekly practices throughout the spring and vie for ribbons and medals for their accomplishments. About 1,600 athletes of all abilities participated - close to 400 more than our 2022 Games.

Healthy Athletes Sponsors included the Golisano Foundation, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, all National Sponsors; Webster Bank and HSA Bank, Presenting Sponsors; Delta Dental, a Gold Sponsor; the Connecticut Community Foundation and Eversource, Bronze Sponsors, and AXA XL, George A. & Grace L. Long Foundation, and Nick & Karen Zoccoli, Supporting Sponsors. Event Sponsors included:

Summer Games Awards Presented to Outstanding Teammates, Volunteer

During the Summer Games awards ceremony for tennis, Unified teammates Brett Glaser and Paul Tetreault of Special Olympics Greater Middletown received the first annual David Kelly Memorial Sportsmanship Award presented by David's wife Paula, Special Olympics Connecticut President Mike Mason and Board Chair Matt Necci.

David, who worked at ESPN, was a dedicated volunteer who spent many years assisting at the tennis venue during Summer Games and generously served as a Special Olympics Connecticut Board Member.

During the Summer Games opening ceremony at Fairfield University, Jim Wilson of the Knights of Columbus was honored for his dedication and enduring support. Jim has helped organize and run Olympic Town at Summer Games for more than 35 years. Olympic Town offers our athletes fun games, interactive activities and time to socialize with their peers during the downtime between their events.

Officers, Athletes Carry the "Flame of Hope" During Three-Day Torch Run

The 37th Annual Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics Connecticut took place throughout the state in honor of Special Olympics athletes everywhere May 31st through June 2nd. During the event, close to 1,500 officers ran to show their support for our athletes and promote inclusion and respect for people of all abilities. Special Olympics athletes joined them in several communities. Firefighters, police explorers, Unified Sports® teammates and WTNH's Gil Simmons and Laura Hutchinson were also among the participants. A grand send-off took place at Whelen Engineering on Day 1, and Torch Run rallies took place at Foxwoods Resort Casino with Special Olympics Connecticut Board Member Jason Guyot and West Hartford's Blue Back Square with iHeart Radio's Renee DiNino and friends from NBC Connecticut on Days 1 and 2, respectively.

Chiefs and officers also took part in Summer Games opening ceremonies at Fairfield University and the Yale Dewitt Cuyler Athletic Complex and presented awards to athletes at the Games. Many will continue to support Special Olympics by hosting Tip-A-Cop events and cornnhole and golf tournaments during the summer. To find out more about upcoming fundraisers, click here.

Platinum Sponsors of the Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics Connecticut include the Bearingstar Insurance Charitable Fund, Dream Ride, Whelen Engineering and WWE. Gold Sponsors are Adams Hometown Markets and IGA Hometown Supermarkets. Media Sponsors include iHeart Radio Connecticut, Hearst Connecticut Media Group and NBC Connecticut and Telemundo Connecticut.

Watch the Special Olympics World Games Starting June 17th

Tune-in Information:

Opening Ceremony: June 17th, 3-6 p.m. on ABC
Competition: Beginning June 19th on ESPN+ and ESPN3
“Best of” Show: July 2nd, 1-3 p.m. on ABC

Connecticut will be well-represented at the 2023 Special Olympics World Games in Berlin. Participants in the Final Leg of the Law Enforcement Torch Run for the Games include Ret. Lt. Kelly Walsh - runner, and Ret. Captain Joe Carlone and Special Olympics Connecticut's Lisa Carlone - logistics coordinators.

Participants in the Games include Athlete Kelly Schneider from Special Olympics New Milford, who will compete in bowling with her Unified partner Debbie Albers, Tricia Stapleton from Special Olympics Newington who will be an Assistant Cycling Coach and Laurie-Jean Hannon, retired VP of Sports for Special Olympics Connecticut, who will serve as a Sport Manager.

Participants in the Global Youth Leadership Summit will be graduating senior Ethan Bufford-Cournoyer, alumnus Zack Ryer and Unified Sports® coach Robb Bajoros of Coginchaug Regional High School in Durham.

Doherty Honored with First Annual Unified Cornhole Invitational

WWE, the Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference (CIAC) and Special Olympics Connecticut teamed up to host the first annual Beau Doherty Unified Sports® Cornhole Invitational at Harding High School in Bridgeport on May 16th.

The event honored retired Special Olympics Connecticut President and CEO Beau Doherty and provided a great afternoon of competition for more than 150 teammates from Amity, Bassick, Central, Harding, Lyman Hall, Oxford, Shelton and Trumbull High Schools. WWE Superstar Nikki Cross also participated to help showcase the power of inclusion through sport.

The winning pair from Oxford High School were awarded a perpetual trophy featuring a replica WWE Championship Belt to display at their school for the year.

Knights of Columbus Provide Unwavering Support

The Knights of Columbus have partnered with Special Olympics since the first International Games were held in Chicago, Illinois on July 20, 1968 – that’s nearly 55 years. Since then, the Knights have expanded their support around the world, donating hundreds of millions of dollars and countless volunteer hours.

Here in Connecticut, the Knights have been involved in our annual State Summer Games since the beginning. Volunteers organize and

offer Olympic Town, adding a unique experience outside of sport for the athletes, families, friends, and spectators who attend Summer Games to enjoy.

When our bocce skills competition moved to Stamford in 2016, the Knights stepped up to support the event and in 2021, began running the event as a committee. Volunteers are the heart of our events, and the Knights can be counted on as a key volunteer group year after year.

Last year alone, the Connecticut State Council donated over $23,000 dollars and local council fundraisers provided an additional $10,000 to support our 64 local programs through local program grants. These grants are awarded directly to our local programs to fund new initiatives such as adding new sports and providing new equipment to their team members.

Global Messengers Gather to Gain Inspiration, Hone Skills

Forty-eight Global Messengers, their mentors, speakers and special guests gathered for our Athlete Leadership Training Day at Choate Rosemary Hall on Saturday, May 20th. The day was filled with learnings, laughter and inspiration.

Presenters included Special Olympics Connecticut Board Member and Fast Lane Speed Training Owner Gino Caro, Global Messengers Ray Hadden and Nick Sinacori, Healthy Athletes Strong Minds Clinical Director Suzie Berthiaume, Synchrony's Prasad Iyer and Special Olympics Massachusetts Athlete and Actor James Day Keith who starred in the movie Champions with Woody Harrelson. The Training Day was made possible through the generous support of friends from Synchrony.

Global Messengers are athlete leaders who volunteer their time to serve as spokespersons and ambassadors for our organization. To arrange to have a Global Messenger speak at your next meeting or event, please complete the form on our website here.

Sign up to Rappel Down Mohegan Sun's Sky Tower

Sign up to go Over the Edge at Mohegan Sun on Friday, September 1st! This event challenges thrill-seekers to raise money for Special Olympics and then rappel more than 30 stories down Mohegan Sun's Sky Tower.

Participants who bravely go Over the Edge to support our athletes will be rewarded with breathtaking views, bragging rights and the uplifting feeling of knowing they supported our athletes.

Find out more, register or, if you prefer to keep two feet on the ground, donate here!

Noteworthy News

Special Olympics Connecticut Board Chair Matt Necci and additional members of the Connecticut Bar Association held a Collaboration for a Cause event to benefit our athletes. The event included a 5k, reception at Kinsmen Brewing Co. and complimentary sessions during which our athletes and their families received free legal advice from Bar Association volunteers. The event raised $10,138.

Special Olympics Connecticut athletes Heather Campbell and Robin Batchelder, along with their moms Tina and Sara and Special Olympics Connecticut's Lisa Carlone, had the incredible opportunity to attend Dream Ride Australia - originated and organized by Michael Bozzuto and supporters and volunteers. To find out about Dream Ride weekend happening in Farmington, CT in August, click here.

Friends at ACES Whitney Academy held their annual car wash to benefit our athletes on June 10th. Athlete and Global Messenger Sean Delgreco and Special Olympics Connecticut President Mike Mason stopped by to thank event organizers and volunteers including Genell Bellamy and Lisa Bernegger. The event raised $1,575.

Johnson and Berry Elementary Schools in Bethel held a Young Athletes/Elementary Unified Sports® Day for their students on June 1st.

Employees of E-Rate - a sponsor of our Special Olympics Young Athletes Program - volunteered at the event.

For a ninth year, friends with Bob's Discount Furniture are supporting Special Olympics athletes here in Connecticut and worldwide through their Cafe Collection for a Cause campaign now through June 30th.

Global Messengers visited Bob's stores to thank employees and shoppers for their support. Global Messenger and Athlete John Taggart of Special Olympics Glastonbury recently visited the store in Manchester.

Friends from ConnectiCare came out to volunteer at the Special Olympics Unified Sports® track & field event hosted by Bloomfield High School on May 18th. The volunteers helped out by taking part in the opening ceremony, cheering on athletes at the finish line and presenting medals to participants.

ConnectiCare is a Presenting Sponsor of Special Olympics Unified Sports / CIAC school-based programs throughout the state.

Free Resources to Care for Loved Ones

To show our appreciation for all you’ve done for Special Olympics Connecticut, we would like to offer you something in return. Something we hope will have a positive impact on you and your family. If you’re like many people, creating or updating your will, trust and other important documents is something that often falls to the bottom of the to-do list. But planning can help you care for your loved ones and offer significant peace of mind. And it doesn’t have to be complicated.

We hope our free publications will help you get started. Some of the information available includes:

Considerations for taking care of a loved one with special needs, parents or elder family members
Tips for choosing an executor
Creating an Advance Care Directive
Why you need a digital estate plan

You’ll find a complete list of free publications here.

Thank you to our Partner Sponsors:

Thank you to our Year-Round Suppliers:

We welcome your feedback.