Special Olympics Wisconsin provides sports training and competition for nearly 10,000 athletes with cognitive disabilities in 18 different sports year-round.
We're looking for brave souls to go "Over the Edge" and rappel down the side of the Hilton Madison Monona Terrace on Sept. 2, 2010 or the Hilton Milwaukee City Center on Sept. 8, 2010. Register online today!
Heights not for you? Team up to raise money to "Toss your Boss" Over the Edge (with full safety gear of course).
The Program office has moved to a new location. We are very excited about our new space as it will allow for future expansion and, due to the market, we were able to negotiate a great long term lease. Our new address is:
Special Olympics Wisconsin
2310 Crossroads Dr. Suite 1000
Madison, WI 53718
Look up your local Area page for a local events calendar, contacts, photos and more!
Special Olympics Wisconsin seeks full time communications and development assistant to provide administrative and communications support to the communications and development department at the Madison program office. Please email cover letter with salary requirements and resume to Kelly Kloepping at kkloepping@specialolympicswisconsin.org.
Download a Position Description
Outdoor Sports TounamentAthletes competed in bocce, softball, t-ball, golf and tennis during the State Outdoor Sports Tournament in Eau Claire, WI on August 6-8.
Special Olympics Wisconsin Holds Award CelebrationAbout 60 supporters received awards for their dedication to Special Olympics Wisconsin during the Award Celebration at Epic in Verona on August 1. Congratulations to all of this year's award winners! View photos
The 2011 Special Olympics World Summer Games will be held June 25 - July 4, 2011 in Athens, Greece. It is anticipated that 7,000 athletes and 2500 coaches from the United States will compete in the World Games. To apply, download the athlete application and return it to the Special Olympics Wisconsin state office by August 15, 2011. Three athlete spots are available for Team Wisconsin: one male athletics athlete, one female aquatics athlete and one male bocce player.
Even though Mother Nature sent 90 degree days with over 100 degree heat indexes, Team Wisconsin brought home 121 medals and 19 ribbons for sports including; bowling, aquatics, power lifting, golfing, basketball, tennis, bocce, rhythmic gymnastics, soccer and athletics from the National Games in Nebraska. The Opening and Closing ceremonies started and ended the event with a bang, and athletes also enjoyed visiting Olympic Town, the Healthy Athletes Program and even a flag football demonstration throughout the week outside of competition. View National Games news and photos
"Cindy Bentley: Spirit of a Champion” Book tells the story of a Special Olympics Wisconsin athleteOn August 6, 2010, Cindy Bentley will join the ranks of Frank Lloyd Wright, Bob and Belle La Follette, Gaylord Nelson, Curly Lambeau, and other noteworthy people from Wisconsin. Her biography, Cindy Bentley: Spirit of a Champion will be published as part of the Wisconsin State Historical Society’s Badger Biography series for young readers.
Read More
Du Run Run Kids Duathlon benefits Special OlympicsTwo Du Run Run events will be held this year. This event is a run / bike / run for kids. Choose a link below for more details or to register online.
August 15, 2010: Summit Credit Union Du Run Run in Fitchburg
September 19, 2010: Chad Erickson Memorial
Du Run Run
in La Crosse
Buckshot Run In Eau ClaireThe Buckshot Run is a two-mile or five-mile run or walk in and around beautiful Carson Park in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. Celebrating it's 28th year, the Buckshot is family fun and the biggest run/walk in the area. More information and online registration.
State Summer GamesThe rain showers didn’t wash away the smiles on nearly 2,000 Special Olympics athletes’ faces when Green Bay Packer linebacker, A.J. Hawk kicked off the Special Olympics Wisconsin State Summer Games with a few words at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point Quandt Gym on Thursday, June 10, 2010. Read more
Special Olympics Wisconsin and Denny’s restaurant announced a year-long, national partnership to raise awareness and support for people with intellectual disabilities across the country. Denny’s Gold Medal Program, the first of two national Special Olympics initiatives, provides guests the opportunity to benefit Special Olympics Wisconsin by purchasing a paper "Gold Medal" for $1 or more. Read More
Spread the Word to End the WordYoung people around the world are taking a stand and raising awareness of the dehumanizing and hurtful affects of the words “retard” and “retarded” and are helping encourage others to think before they speak.
Wisconsin athlete featured in national video campaignWatch this amazing video spot done pro bono by ad
agency BBDO for Special Olympics. The spot is called "Skeleton" and
stars 21-year-old Mario Ogunbowale, a Special Olympics Wisconsin
athlete.
Visit eunicekennedyshriver.org to learn more about Eunice Kennedy Shriver and leave a personal tribute message. Read a message from Brady Lum, President of Special Olympics, regarding the future of the movement.
A portrait of Eunice Kennedy Shriver, founder of Special Olympics, was recently unveiled at the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C. David Lenz of Shorewood, Wis., was the artist chosen to paint Shriver. Read more.
Last August, SOWI received $70,000 of a $2.2. million dollar Project Unify grant funded by the U.S. Department of Education. Its goal is to activate youth around the country in an effort to develop school communities where all young people are agents of change - fostering respect, dignity and advocacy for people with intellectual disabilities by utilizing the programs and initiatives of Special Olympics. Read More
Camp Shriver brings together children with and without disabilitiesLa Crosse is the host site for the first Camp Shriver in Wisconsin, an inclusive summer program for children both with and without cognitive disabilities. During the camp, children participate in sports and other enrichment activities to improve their motor development, sports skills as well as their self-esteem, social skills, and confidence in building relationships with peers.
View event photos.
Anyone who has direct contact with athletes or is in a position of authority, supervision or trust of athletes or handles substantial amounts of cash or other assets for Special Olympics needs to be a registered Class A volunteer. Click here for more information on Class A Volunteers.
Duties may include: Coaching, committee work, agency management
Submit a Class A Registration Form to the program office (requires background check)
Request to have a Class A form mailed to you
Complete the online Protective Behaviors training and test
(must use Internet Explorer or Firefox web browsers)
View the General Orientation video at a training or view it online and take the General Orientation Test
Click here to learn more about volunteering with Special Olympics Wisconsin
Training VideoThis video instructs coaches and athletes on warm up, strength training and stretching exercises.
Check out this compilation of 3-word videos created by students from the University of Miami in response to this question.
Special Olympics "It's Fantastic" video
