May 2022
Spring Games Return to Eckersall Stadium!
On Thursday, May 5, athletes gathered at Soldier Field for the first time since 2018 for the Spring Games Opening Ceremonies! It was a chilly day, but everyone had an amazing time kicking off the games.

The following week was sunny and warm as everyone arrived at Eckersall Stadium for three days of track and field competitions. Athletes competed in races, long jump, shot put, and softball and tennis ball throwing. They also got to eat lunch with their friends, dance, and enjoy live entertainment. It was a fun and exciting week for all!

Thank you to everyone who volunteered to make these competitions and activities possible. Congratulations to all of our athletes on their accomplishments!
Athletes are heading to the USA Games!
Next month, a group of talented and hard-working athletes (plus an amazing coach) will travel to Orlando Florida to participate in the USA Games.

Mt. Greenwood Park will be represented by two athletes and a coach. Karen Mrotek will compete in Bocce, Matthew Buck will be competing in swimming, and Mt. Greenwood Park coach Lisa Wisniewski will be an Assistant Golf Coach.
From Vittum Park, Kenneth Ogden will be competing in Bocce.
Gage Park athlete Corey Williams will be competing in Flag Football.
From Kosciuszko Park, Isaiah Cunningham will be competing in Powerlifting
Matthew Danaher from Independence Park will be competing in Swimming.
Shabbona Park has five athletes attending the games. Competing in Powerlifting is Jimmy Naughton, in Bocce is Frank Kajdanowski, in Athletics is Matthew Gorski, and competing in Flag Football we have Christian Arreola and Peter Hertl.

We are so proud of all of them and we can't wait to cheer them on as they represent our city in June!

Block Club Chicago recently featured Isaiah Cunningham from Kosciuszko Park, a veteran athlete who competed at Spring Games and will be traveling to USA Games.
Time is running out to join Team Special Olympics Chicago for the Bank of America Chicago Marathon!
There are less than two weeks left to join #TeamSpecialOChicago and get free guaranteed entry into this year's marathon! Join our team and get great benefits. Plus, your race will support Special Olympics Chicago/Special Children's Charities! Sign up by May 31 and make an impact on the lives of athletes with intellectual and developmental disabilities right here in Chicago!
Sign up for the BTN Big 10K!
The BTN Big 10K is coming back to Chicago this year on July 10 and we are grateful to once again be a charity partner for this fun and exciting race!

Represent your favorite Big Ten school in the 10K or 5K then party with other Big Ten fans at the Post-Race Tailgate featuring the Big Ten mascots, Big Ten cheerleaders, and entertainment! Participants will receive a school-specific race shirt and medal.
We are also looking for volunteers to help with this year's race. Click here if you'd like to join us!
Teacher Appreciation Week!
Teacher Appreciation Week was earlier this month and we wanted to show our appreciation for the teachers in Chicago Public Schools who work every day to make a difference in the lives of students with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

We sent more than 500 teachers letters outlining programs SOC/SCC provides to help support the needs of their students. Teachers were also able to receive a gift card from DoorDash treating them to lunch.

Thank you to all teachers out there for their dedication and hard work!
See what our athletes have cooking up this month!
More than 100 athletes and family members joined us on May 16 for this month's cooking demo and learned to make a simple yet fun tomato basil pinwheel wrap. Athletes were given a lot of freedom with these wraps when it came to adding their own extra ingredients and growing more confident in the kitchen.

Thanks to FarmTaste and Colleen Lammel-Harmon, athletes developed an even better appreciation for food, smelling each fresh and local ingredient with their eyes closed to see just how yummy their meal was going to be.

We also ended the class with some extra tips and tricks to prepare nutritious meals as well as meal etiquette!
Are you a Special Olympics Chicago/Special Children's Charities athlete who wants to join our classes and activities?
Sign up, and we'll send you an invitation for our next event!
Family Opportunities from the Chicago Park District
The Chicago Park District's Family Opportunities are continuing this spring! We are excited to be sponsoring these fun activities. Indoor Rowing, Archery, Virtual Fitness, and Bowling will all be continuing. Plus, Mini Golf and Fishing will be back with the warm weather! Download the flyer and sign up today!
Athlete Artwork Feature
Our May calendar artist is Mohammed Islam. He named his drawing Logos featuring this month's Spring Games.
Special Olympics Chicago/Special Children's Charities
2 E 8th Street, Suite 2M
Chicago, IL 60605

312-527-3743 scc@sochicago.org