Special Olympics Lakeland is gearing up to kick off its season, hoping to expand its roster of programs and encourage more people to volunteer.
The program is important to the community, explained Sharon Corkery, Special Olympics Lakeland vice-president.
“It shows unity in the community,” she said. “It shows that a community is supportive of their fellow person, and it really gets down to the true meaning of what a community is. We're all here for one another. Special Olympics is a way of saying that we're here and anybody can do anything.”
The program has been active in the Lakeland since 1986, organizing sports activities for people with mental disabilities. Currently, the only program offered is bowling.
Corkery said the bowling program is highly successful and very popular, with 32 athletes involved currently, and it continues to expand each year.
“We're really hoping to get to provincials and then to nationals and then to internationals,” she said. “We're really hoping that we can get some of our players onto the provincial team, which would be totally awesome.”
Corkery added she would like to expand the age group that participates in the program. Currently, only adults come out for the activities.
“I know there are a lot of families out there who don't know that we're here and this is what we do,” she explained. “We really want them to come out and start taking part and making suggestions about what they want to see.”
She also worried some people prefer not to participate because they don't enjoy bowling, and hopes to attract more volunteers to help run other athletic programs, like dance, curling, baseball, or hockey.
“Where we're falling in getting these sports going is coaches,” she explained. “I can't coach everything. We need coaches, we need volunteers, all the time. All the time.”
Volunteering for the program offers a unique opportunity to give back, she said.
“It's a life-changing experience,” she said. “I've actually had that quoted to me from a couple of my volunteers who came out for the first time to help us with our bowling tournament … It hits your heart, is what it does.”
High school students came out to help with the bowling tournament as well.
“They had so much fun, it was unbelievable,” Corkery said. “I was very impressed with how the students behaved and presented themselves. It was a really good experience, both on the parts of the athletes, and the volunteers.”
Volunteering for Special Olympics enriches more than the volunteer's life, of course, and Corkery said the program gives something essential to those who take part.
“We're trying to get them involved more in the community,” she said. “They are a part of the community and I've noticed since I've moved here that the Bonnyville community is very accepting and involving of all of them. It's really awesome to see. They have so much fun.
“For us, it's an achievement to show that we're here helping them and we're just taking part. For our athletes, they just want a fan group like the Pontiacs have. They just want a fan base, and they're very successful. Heck, lots of them beat me at bowling.”
Lakeland Special Olympics will be at the Community Awareness and Registration Night at the C2 on Sept. 8 and can be emailed at [email protected], Special Olympics Lakeland on Facebook or Corkery can be reached at 780-812-1536.
