Special Olympics Canada is in the business of creating success in unexpected places. Every year, more than 35,000 Canadians benefit from Special Olympics programs. It’s part of the reason why the federal government pledged $10.8 million in funding over the next four years; so that Special Olympics Canada can improve and expand to even more communities in Canada.
But while securing the money was a major victory for Special Olympics, the organization still faces many challenges. Foremost among those challenges: the fact that there is widespread confusion among Canadians on what Special Olympics Canada even does.
A quick refresher. Created in 1968, the Special Olympics movement aimed to create a sporting competition for those who suffered from intellectual disabilities. Though they share a name, the Special Olympics movement is separate from both the Olympic Games and the Paralympic Games.
Since the first games in 1968, Special Olympics organizations have popped up worldwide, providing sports opportunities and health care for intellectually disabled people. The scope of the movement not only makes Special Olympics one of the largest international sports organizations, it's also the single largest healthcare provider in the world for people with intellectual disabilities.
Yet, for an organization with such an impressive history, the Special Olympics are too often lumped together with the Paralympics, relegated to the category of “other Olympics,” and promptly forgotten. Brand awareness, along with athlete registration, volunteer registration and yearly revenue were the four target areas to improve on, identified by the report. Initially, the proposed numbers looked ambitious: in just five years, Special Olympics Canada aimed to add 15,000 new athletes, representing a 43 per cent increase on their 2012 totals, 4,000 new coaches, and a $10 million increase in revenue.
Now, with a cool cheque for $10.8 million on its way to the bank, Special Olympics Canada can focus its lobbying efforts on the public.
If the organization reaches their goals for athlete registration, there will be an urgent need for more volunteers, especially coaches. Every dollar that Special Olympics Canada has to spend towards educating the population on what it actually does, is a dollar, which could go towards program funding. It’s a reality, but it hurts, especially considering Canada’s long history with the Special Olympic movement.
A year after the movement was created in 1968, Canada held its first version of the games in 1969. Ground-breaking research out of the University of Toronto in the ‘60s helped prove that people with intellectual disabilities could succeed in sport, and even benefit from their involvement.
With a big increase to its funding, Special Olympics Canada is ready to expand its programs to more communities, and provide more valuable care to those in need. But money was only half the battle – for the organization to grow so quickly; it’s time the rest of Canada learned about the Special Olympics. You might as well, if for no other reason than it’s your money.