For us, by us. It’s a motto that formed five years ago during an initial walkthrough of the former South Christian high school in Cutlerville, Michigan with an intimate group Special Olympics Michigan (SOMI) staff, athletes, and their families.
“We walked around the fields, the building, the old classrooms and we asked the athletes ‘What do you want to do here? What do you need?’” said Tim Hileman, SOMI President & CEO. “From day one our athletes provided input and thought. We wouldn’t have this facility without our athletes.”
Fast forward five years later, Hileman and many of those same athletes stand in the outdoor space with a different view and a new name – the Special Olympics Michigan Unified Sports & Inclusion Center. There is fresh turf under their feet with a prominent Special Olympics logo displayed at center field. Bright red bleachers await the first spectators, and a rubberized track will be laid in the coming days.
“For years we have had to go to other people’s fields, other people’s gyms,” said Max Erhardt, a Special Olympics Michigan athlete. “Finally, we get to come here and call it home.”
While the excitement of the facility taking shape is visible, there are relationships forming that will last longer than the walls being built. “Max is my buddy, he comes out quite a bit,” says Jan Beerthuis, Construction Site Superintendent for Rockford Construction. “I met Max early on, I walked the site with him. I like to show people what is going on. He really took an interest.”
Together the pair – mentor and mentee – have watched the outdoor space at the Inclusion Center take shape. “Earlier in the year I helped build part of the fields,” Erhardt said. “With Jan’s guidance, I helped with the hydroseeding, did some digging, made sure it’s all going well.”
The relationship was one that took Beerthuis – a 30-year veteran with Rockford Construction – by surprise. “A place like this is unique, it’s not just a building,” he said of the Inclusion Center. “I have built Targets, law firms, they are all great. This has a long history building up to it. It couldn’t be a larger honor. I had heard of Special Olympics, but now I know so much more about it. It really feels like family.”
A family that is sure to grow as the building prepares to welcome athletes to compete, train, and grow on an international platform in the coming months. It is estimated that 9,000 Special Olympics athletes live within a 60-mile radius of the new facility. Still, athletes around the state will get to experience this space for events, training, learning, and camaraderie.
“It feels surreal, but it’s really going to hit when I get to be a fan in the stands,” Hileman said, looking up at the new bleachers. “That is my favorite part of the job, when I get to watch our athletes compete. I am excited to see them compete on this stage.”
As for Erhardt? While he’s excited to compete – he doesn’t plan to stop there. “I want to work here,” he commented on his future. “I would like to maintain the field and the facility.”
An official ribbon cutting is scheduled for the Special Olympics Michigan Unified Sports & Inclusion Center on September 19, 2024. The building is expected to be fully complete by 2025. Building progress photos can be viewed here.
The entire renovation of the Unified Sport and Inclusion Center will happen in five phases:
Phase 1 – Tenant/Corporate Space (completed)
Phase 2 – Outdoor Sports Complex (Open Sept. 19, 2024)
Phase 3 – South Corridor, featuring bathrooms, athlete hub, teaching kitchen (Open Sept. 19, 2024)
Phase 4 – Activity Spaces (Fall 2025)
Phase 5 – Auditorium Renovation (2026)