Special Olympics Oregon May News + Events

Meet Team Oregon 2022

Special Olympics Oregon is very proud of our athletes, coaches, and volunteers as they have been training in their hometowns for the past several months. A successful training camp was held in Beaverton in March, which provided a chance for everyone to bond and prepare for the rigors of travel and competition to the 2022 Special Olympics USA Games, presented by Jersey Mike's Subs. Our delegates have not only been working hard on the field, but they have also done an amazing job raising awareness and funds to support their trip.

“I am so excited for this group to have this opportunity to create lasting memories and to showcase their talents on a national stage. This will be a once-in-a-lifetime experience for many of our delegates. With all that we have overcome through the pandemic to reach this point, I am so proud of everyone involved who helped make this happen. It has been a long and winding road for sure. Now it’s time to do our best and have some fun!” explained Mark Hanken, Chief Operating Officer and Head of Delegation.

Sports and Media Officials Represent Oregon at USA Games

The Team Oregon delegation will not be the only ones representing SOOR in Florida. Several others have been invited to participate.

Special Olympics Oregon is honored to have sports officials and media volunteers from Oregon be selected to support the 2022 USA Games. Congratulations to basketball officials Sarah Sowers and Gary Turner; bocce officials Cecilia Barnes, Sue Hill, Jill Olson, Jill Simmons, and Mike Wissing; and soccer official Jon Newswanger on your selection to help ensure quality competition and fair play. Congratulations also to Paul W. Harvey, IV, Susie Peters, and Dillon Vibes, who were all selected to support the official marketing, media, and photography efforts at the Games.

Athletes

Unified Partners

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SPOTLIGHT

Opening Ceremony

Performance by Shawn Hinz

Hosted by journalist and national television personality T.J. Holmes, the one-of-a-kind Opening Ceremony is being produced by Disney Live Entertainment and will include more than 500 performers, plus a special live performance by Grammy Award-winning artist Sara Bareilles. In addition, Special Olympics Oregon athlete Shawn Hinz, joined by Disney’s Voices of Liberty, will sing a solo during “America the Beautiful.” ESPN, the global broadcast partner of Special Olympics and the USA Games, will air the Ceremony at noon EST on ABC and on WatchESPN and ESPN the app.

Unified Champion Schools

Unified Teams and Youth Leadership Experience at USA Games

Special Olympics Unified Champion Schools (UCS) fills an important space in the Special Olympics continuum where young people are engaged to lead in their schools and communities through inclusive sport and leadership activities. 2 UCS programs in Oregon will represent at the USA Games. Bend High School's Unified Basketball team will compete in the Unified Champion Schools division. In addition, a Unified pair from Newport High School will participate in the Youth Leadership Experience and have key volunteer roles during the USA Games to reinforce lifetime engagement and collect stories of inclusion that will be shared on social media and other marketing materials.

EVENTS

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Our Mission

Special Olympics Oregon provides year-round sports training and athletic competition in a variety of Olympic-type sports for children, youth and adults living with intellectual disabilities, giving them continuing opportunities to develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage, experience joy, and participate in a sharing of gifts, skills, and friendship with their families, other Special Olympics athletes, and the community.