Special Olympics struggles

The Parkland branch of Special Olympics has recently found itself in a bad news/good news situation.

On the one hand, the local organization is struggling to keep its programs going. On the other hand, Rick Sanden, community development and program coordinator for Special Olympics Saskatchewan, said that is not necessarily a completely bad sign.

Sanden, who was in Yorkton last week to help recruit new volunteers and athletes said the decline in participation is at least partly because of the increased acceptance of special needs people and their integration into mainstream programs, activities and society in general.

He does not see this leading to irrelevancy, though.

"From a sport perspective, where they can be considered a competitive athlete at the local, provincial, national and world level, Special Olympics offers those opportunities," he said.

Special Olympics, not to be confused with Paralympics, is an international organization dedicated to people with intellectual disabilities.

Its mission is to deliver real sports, promote athlete health, provide transformative education and build accepting communities.

The volunteer drive was a modest success.

"We got two volunteers who seem to be very enthusiastic," said Mary-Ann Shalkowski, the local Special Olympics coordinator.

Efforts to bolster the organization are ongoing. Interested parties
can contact Shalkowsky at 306.435.9501 or by email, [email protected].