Special Olympics Northern California

We are thrilled to unveil Do Something Special, our first-ever brand awareness campaign demonstrating how Special Olympics brings people together in ways that erase lines of division and isolation. The campaign launches today in conjunction with our annual Summer Games at Santa Clara University.    The campaign helps redefine what it means to be ‘special’ within the Special Olympics movement and is designed to ignite momentum in our larger NorCal community. It addresses the preconceived notions of what it’s like to live with an intellectual disability and showcases our athletes reclaiming the word ‘special’ as a thing of power: “Special isn’t what we are. It’s what we do.”     Each week we will be sharing content that features real Special Olympics NorCal athletes front-and-center as a celebration of their hard work, determination, sportsmanship, accomplishments, camaraderie and more. We invite you to see for yourself in our first spot and how we’re redefining “special.” Re-energizing and celebrating it. Making it our own again. You’re invited to #DoSomethingSpecial, too, by volunteering, donating, or joining our movement. Or simply sharing this message of Inclusion further. Visit DoSomethingSpecial.org for more information.

Athlete Leader Amanda earned the opportunity of a lifetime earlier this month as she was invited to a dinner at the White House hosted by President Joe Biden! The festive gathering was held to recognize the work that Special Olympics, with the support of the Biden administration and members of Congress, has been doing to engage communities everywhere to not only fight intolerance, but inspire us all to be more inclusive. "The Special Olympics oath is: Let me win, but if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt. That's the basic American spirit. Your spirit. And you instill it in everyone," President Biden said. Amanda (third from the right in row two of the photo, in the red top) also had the honor of reciting a post-dinner toast after the event. Read her words and more about this special experience on the SONorCal blog: https://bit.ly/3ZQj1sA Congratulations, Amanda on this amazing experience, and thank you for your hard work and leadership.

Athlete Leader Jason joined Special Olympics NorCal staff at the 93rd Annual California State Capitol Tree Lighting ceremony earlier this month in Sacramento. Jason, who created a unique Special Olympics NorCal ornament for the Capitol tree, got to meet Governor Gavin Newsom and others while celebrating the holidays and the spirit of inclusion.

At Special Olympics Northern California, our dream is to use sports to jump-start change and spark joy. We do this by putting our athletes first in everything that we do. More than 23,000 NorCal athletes benefit from our year-round sports, health, schools and leadership programs, free of charge, thanks to a broad network of partners, sponsors, coaches, volunteers, supporters and friends. Want to learn more about our inclusive movement? Check out our 2024 Impact Report for a deep dive into the many ways we're bringing together people of all abilities through sports. ➡️➡️ https://bit.ly/3ZI1XVH #OneNorCal #CelebrateInclusion

We recently hosted a fun Athlete Leadership Program Summit at Camp Via West! More than 30 Special Olympics NorCal Athlete Leaders & mentors gathered for a weekend of learning, group activities, trainings and social time. Special guests included Kyla Grogan from KRON4 Digital, Johnny O'Neil from Santa Clara University Men's Basketball, San Jose Earthquakes Soccer goalkeeper JT Marcinkowski and more! Thanks to all the participants and supporters who came out to support the event. Learn more about the Athlete Leadership Program at SONC.org/ALP.

Thanks again to our Presenting Sponsor Walmart Connect and their team of volunteers for providing so much help at Fall Games 2024 last month! We appreciate your efforts and applaud how you're making a difference in the communities your serve through volunteerism. Thank you from all of us at Special Olympics NorCal! #internationalvolunteerday #gratitude

Check out this great KRON4 Digital feature about the Special Olympics NorCal flag football game hosted by the San Francisco 49ers and Dignity Health at Levi's Stadium this week! What a cool experience for our athletes. Thanks to all who helped bring this memorable day to life!❤️🏈 #celebrateinclusion #OneNorCal

Sending out a note of thanks to our friends at Infogain for building more than 200 snack bags for Special Olympics NorCal athletes! They were a huge hit at our regional bowling competition. Thank you, Infogain, for being a wonderful partner in our mission for more inclusive communities. #corporatepartnership #employeeengagement #celebrateinclusion #OneNorCal

Massive thanks to our friends at the San Francisco 49ers and Dignity Health for hosting a Special Olympics Northern California flag football game at Levi's® Stadium! What a memorable experience for our athletes, their families and our extended community. Thanks so much for your commitment to inclusion and spreading joy through sports!

This #GivingTuesday, your gift to Special Olympics NorCal goes THREE TIMES as far! During our Giving Tuesday TRIPLE MATCH, each donation you make will have 3X the impact for athletes! - If you give $25, your gift becomes $75 - If you give $100, your gift becomes $300 Show your support for Special Olympics athletes. Donate now and TRIPLE your impact --> https://bit.ly/3CKmste #CelebrateInclusion #DoSomethingSpecial #OneNorCal #GivingBack #DonateNow