It's been a while!!
Special Olympics Vermont has had a fun-filled first quarter with a good mix of fundraising and sports events.
Our first in-person sporting event was WinterFest which was held on March 5th at Rikert Nordic Center. This was a fun recreational event where athletes from all over the state participated in cross country skiing and snowshoeing races. It was great to see familiar faces and catch up with everyone!
Next we had our annual fan-favorite fundraiser– the Penguin Plunge! This year slightly resembled a Plunge from a couple years back. About 800 Plungers ran into the freezing waters of Lake Champlain at the Burlington Waterfront on March 12th (amidst a snowstorm!). Some of those who couldn’t join us in person DIY-ed plunges from their homes. Thanks to the support of our community, its leaders and businesses, over $500,000 was raised so we can continue to support athletes across the state. We also held a Southern Penguin Plunge in Manchester, Vermont where the Manchester Fire Department created a stream of water for plungers to run through.
More recently, we held the Norwich Recreational Basketball Tournament on April 9th at the Plumley Armory gym where more than 50 athletes from 5 local programs participated in 3v3, 5v5, and skills events. It was awesome to see athletes in action and having fun.
As the weather gets warmer, we look forward to having more competitions and in-person pop up events throughout the rest of the year. We’ve gone through so many changes as an organization and we’re sure you have too! We’d love to hear all about it.
VPA Unified Basketball
Some of our staff members have been popping in on some of the nearby VPA Unified Basketball games. We've truly enjoyed seeing the athletes and partners play together, the displays of sportsmanship, and the work that Unified Champion Schools have put in to promote inclusion.
SOVT Delegation headed to the 2022 Special Olympics USA Games
The 2022 Special Olympics USA Games will take place in Orlando from June 5th-12th. We are extremely excited to have six athletes representing Vermont in various events, as well as a unified pair-- Bobby Petrie and Gabe Raymond from Brattleboro Union High School, who will be attending the Youth Leadership Experience. Each athlete has been training and preparing for the games, with hopes of performing their best. Join us in wishing them luck. If you're interested in donating to support Team Vermont, visit www.specialolympicsvermont.org/usagames, and be sure to follow along June 5th-12th at 2022specialolympicsusagames.org!
Spring is here!
Spring is finally here! The snow is (hopefully) gone and the sun is out and shining. Being outdoors provides a large amount of health benefits. It can lower stress and anxiety as well as provide health benefits like exposure to Vitamin D. We can finally get outside in some fresh air, so grab a friend, a family member, or even a pet and get some sun & exercise! Don't forget to wear sunscreen and drink water! We'll be introducing a fitness challenge soon, so keep an eye out for that too.
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