Special Olympics BC September Newsletter Update

Special Olympics BC – Burns Lake athletes worked hard in their Club Fit Pilot Program and provided vital feedback for the SOBC Return to Sport Plan.

The New Car Dealers Foundation / Special Olympics BC Auction has launched at www.auction2020.ca!

From now through September 24, you have the green light to bid on more than 250 exciting items donated by New Car Dealers members and supporters to benefit Special Olympics BC and the New Car Dealers Foundation of BC. This year’s headline prize is a 2020 Honda Civic DX Sedan, and the auction also includes other unique and sought-after items in automotive, business, food, lifestyle, media, sport, travel, and wine.

SOBC Board of Directors member Pamela Keith serves on the auction’s organizing committee. She says this year’s event is particularity important, since many Special Olympics BC fundraisers have had to be cancelled or postponed due to COVID-19.

“This is something that we can do online and generate interest. It’s fun for people who participate, and it will bring us the funds we all need to keep us going,” Keith said on SOBC’s What’s On Your Mind Wednesday.

The New Car Dealers Association of BC has been driving support for Special Olympics athletes and programs throughout the province since 1984, and has raised more than $5.1 million through this impactful annual auction.

Special thanks to the BC Honda Dealers Association for donating a vehicle to the event! We are also very grateful to the dealers, companies, and individuals who donated cash or auction items!

>> Check out the auction site

With sincere thanks to all who have worked so hard to move the Special Olympics BC Return to Sport Plan forward safely, we would like to share the latest steps in the slow, phased provincial progression.

Bowling (5- and 10-pin), curling, figure skating, powerlifting, rhythmic gymnastics, speed skating, swimming, Active Start, and FUNdamentals are now in the Pilot Program phase. Locals can apply to the SOBC provincial office to host a pilot for these sports.

We have added more coach training webinars.

Athletics, bocce, golf, and outdoor Club Fit remain at Level 1, available to be offered by Locals around the province, once they receive approval from SOBC.

>> Read more

>> Full Return to Sport Plan and resources

It’s registration season! Locals will be sending out information about registration for the 2020-21 sport year. We wanted to share a bit of info on what registration will look like, and why.

>> Read more

motionball’s 2020 Marathon of Sport will feature serious star power!

Join five-time Olympic medallist Tessa Virtue and other Canadian sport celebs for an action-packed broadcast that will include a series of fun sport and fitness challenges. This interactive event will kick off on September 26 at 10 a.m. PT, and will be available online – so you can follow along from anywhere!

Watch this video to see participating celebrities show their motionball pride.

You can register for the event if you would like to fundraise, or you can participate by simply tuning in to the broadcast on event day. Stay tuned to www.motionball.com for the link to the broadcast.

>> Learn more

It’s National Coaches Week from September 19 to 27, and we are excited to celebrate the incredible efforts and positive impact Special Olympics BC coaches have on athletes and communities across Canada. Offering more than just sport instruction, they are teachers, role models, mentors, and friends.

Their guidance and commitment to SOBC athletes allows for individuals with intellectual disabilities to discover the transformative powers of sport. Use the hashtag #ThanksCoach to show your appreciation and recognize the integral role coaches play in your life!

Throughout the week we will be spotlighting outstanding coaches, taking a look back at some of the impressive coaching achievements from 2020, and providing coaches with the tools and resources for them to continue making a difference. Keep an eye on our social channels for daily updates and check out our National Coaches Week page for more resources.

We did not want to have to do this, but we must. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and ongoing uncertainty around the future of mass gatherings, Special Olympics BC has made the difficult decision to cancel the 2021 SOBC Summer Games scheduled for next July in Surrey.

Given the current health circumstances and projections, SOBC does not expect to be able to safely hold an event with the anticipated more than 1,000 participants next summer.

This was a hard decision that was made with a lot of thought and consideration, and now we are focusing our efforts on how to bring safe sport back to Special Olympics athletes across B.C.

The 2021 SOBC Summer Games would have been the qualifier for the 2022 Special Olympics Canada Summer Games. Due to the pandemic and its impact on priorities and resources, the 2022 SOC Summer Games in Medicine Hat have been cancelled, and Special Olympics Canada will be devoting their attention to renewing and enhancing grassroots programs.

SOC and Provincial/Territorial Chapters have also made the decision to proceed with the National Training Program and participation in the Special Olympics World Winter Games Kazan 2022, given all that has been invested in the journey so far, and the NTP funding from Sport Canada. SOC is planning to announce the names of Special Olympics Team Canada in November 2020.

>> Full update

During these uncertain times it is hard not to feel alone, isolated, and disconnected from the world. But we are all in this together – and our inspiring community can overcome any adversity put before us!

Check out the video for our Today, Tomorrow, Forever campaign.

Special Olympics BC is a community, a family, and a source of emotional stability for more than 5,200 athletes across the province. This digital fundraising campaign will provide SOBC with vital support as we work to restart the empowering programs where athletes gain essential friendships and pride.

Supporters can help us change lives by donating at www.sobcforever.ca. You can also make a difference by sharing this campaign with friends, family, and coworkers.

>> Learn more

Here are some upcoming ways to stay active, healthy, and connected with Special Olympics BC friends and supporters!

• Use the SOBC Basic Sport Skills tools to help continue your sport-specific training at home.
• Complete the fun daily at-home workouts and wellness challenges in the #SOBCSuperSeptember calendar.
• Sign up for the SOBC Virtual Healthy Athletes Education Session on September 30! Join us for conversations about healthy lifestyle tips and topics such as nutrition, hydration, strong bones, hand washing, and sun safety.
• Stay fit and have fun with the SOBC Virtual Dance Club! Join inclusive dance educator Ashlee Davidson for eight weeks of toe-tapping fitness on Thursdays starting October 1.
• Stay tuned to SOBC’s social media channels for details on the Virtual Personal Health Series to come this fall!
• Join us on Facebook Live on the first Wednesday of every month at 2 p.m. PT, to talk with athlete leaders and special guests!

>> Please click here for more tools to stay healthy at home

Our Virtual Fit Families & Friends program is a virtual walking club with the collective goal of walking around the province and visiting each Local along the way! This program provides great opportunities for Special Olympics BC athletes to get outside, exercise, and connect with others virtually to create engaging and supportive social networks.

Visit the Fit Families & Friends page to find weekly healthy recipes, leaderboards, and digital badges you can download to celebrate milestones. Participants have already walked more than 1,100 kilometres collectively, and have completed the SOBC Region 4, 5, 6, and 7 routes! Let’s keep moving and get that heart rate up!

Any athletes and coaches who would like to be part of the program can contact Special Olympics BC Sport Coordinator Marlow de Paul by email or by phone at 604-737-3081.

Sincere thanks to the Government of British Columbia, Government of Canada and Prospera Credit Union for all their impactful support of SOBC health programming, and to the Hamber Foundation for their generous support of Fit Families & Friends!

>> Read more

Local Committee volunteers are the vital organizers who make Special Olympics BC programs and events possible. SOBC has created a new website page to help advertise Local Committee volunteer opportunities around the province, hoping to support Locals in filling these roles.

Please click here to find the page that will be kept up to date with current openings!

It would be much appreciated if you can spread the word in your networks about any opportunities that appear on this page. Please encourage others to get involved in Special Olympics and change lives through the power and joy of sport, the same way you do!

Special Olympics BC’s Board of Directors and Leadership Council provide vital guidance for our organization and movement, and SOBC benefits significantly from the efforts of these valued volunteers. At the 2020 SOBC Annual General Meeting on September 15, the Board of Directors welcomed new Director and Athlete Representative Sheenagh Morrison (pictured at right). The Board also re-elected the dedicated Executive Committee, and saluted outgoing Directors Susan Wang and Colin MacKinnon.

>> Read more

Special Olympics BC is delighted to be bringing Jocelyn Kerr back on staff as our new Office Administrator. Last summer, Jocelyn worked with SOBC on a contract to successfully launch the Youth Engagement Project, before returning to the University of Western Ontario where she completed her bachelor’s degree in medical science. Previously, the Abbotsford native volunteered with SOBC – Abbotsford and Spread the Word>>Inclusion in her community. Jocelyn started on September 16 and will work full-time in the SOBC provincial office in Burnaby.

SOBC’s Lower Mainland-based staff are working in office with a safety plan in place that includes physical distancing and hygience measures. Staff are combining remote work and a rotation of days in office in order to make sure that physical distancing is possible. If you are planning a visit and would like to speak to a specific staff member, please contact them in advance so they can be sure to assist you with everything you need.

Return to Sport training

Special Olympics BC is running required Return to Sport training webinars for all coaches in the sports that are reopening. More webinars will be added as the need arises. Upcoming webinar dates:

• September 23 (Club Fit and dryland training)
• September 24 (figure skating and speed skating)
• September 29 (bowling and powerlifting)

The registration deadline for each is 9 a.m. on the day of the webinar.

Coach Development Webinars

We are ramping back up SOBC Coach Development Webinars this fall! These Zoom sessions bring together SOBC coaches and sport-specific experts to share expertise and training tactics.

Upcoming Coach Development Webinars include basketball and floor hockey to be hosted on October 6 at 6:30 p.m. PT. Please stay tuned to SOBC’s website and social media channels for details and registration links for these courses and more!

Additional resources

• Recordings of past Coach Development Webinars and more virtual resources on the Online Coach Education page;
• Basic Sport Skills instructional videos and PDFs that coaches and athletes can use for sport-specific skill training at home; and
• Many more tools in the SOBC website resources section.

If you have any questions, please contact Helen Cheung, SOBC Sport Manager, by email or by phone at 604-7373055.

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