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Tournament officials announced that the Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational’s Special Olympics 3-Hole Challenge program will be returning to the 2023 tournament. Scheduled for Friday, July 21, this annual event will welcome twelve Special Olympics athletes from Michigan’s Great Lakes Bay Region. Athletes will compete in a three-hole, three-person scramble on holes 16, 17, and 18 at Midland Country Club. The Dow GLBI and the Special Olympics Michigan have teamed up for the Special Olympics 3-Hole Challenge since 2019.

Championship medals are being polished ahead of the Special Olympics Michigan (SOMI) Poly Hockey and Unified Bowling finals next week. Nearly 500 athletes and Unified partners from across Michigan are expected to participate in the Lansing area events on Friday, Nov. 4.

After a two-year hiatus, the SOMI Awards & Appreciation Dinner returns! Below you will find our nomination forms for awards that will be given on Friday, Dec. 2, 202 to highlight the amazing work of our athletes, volunteers, coaches & supporters this past year. See the categories and nominate those who have gone above and beyond.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection Police Chief Joe Morin list of professional accomplishments is long. However, his proudest is serving as a leader for the Michigan Law Enforcement Torch Run (LETR) for more than a decade. 

Reporter: Mathew Thomas, Special Olympics Michigan Unified partner

“It’s happening slowly, but we need more awareness. Every day there is more opportunity,” said Dr. Mallika Nadda, Chairwoman, Special Olympics Bharat. “We have come a long way.” 

Unified Reporters: Kayla Helferinch, Mathew Thomas, Max Hinga, Kate Schemper, Lydia Deblecourt

The Special Olympics Unified Cup Detroit 2022 proved to be a week-long event aimed at ensuring there is a place for everyone on and off the playing field. Teams from around the world showcased their athletic ability, eliminating the stigma of those with intellectual disabilities playing on a team with Unified partners. While the teams are Unified – is the playing time?

Cornell was one of 500 attendees at the conference in our nation’s capital, hand-picked by Special Olympics International to represent an underserved population – those individuals with intellectual disabilities (ID).

Special Olympics Michigan (SOMI) Athlete, Max Hinga (19), has spent his life creating his own opportunities. The teen has traveled the Unified States as an advocate for Special Olympics, most recently participating in the 2022 USA Games in Orlando as a Youth Ambassador. 

Inclusive youth leadership is when young people of all abilities are given opportunities to be leaders in their schools and communities. These leadership activities help students find their voices and teach them to become change agents in their communities by promoting equity and acceptance. Social inclusion is best fostered when activities within the classroom, school, and community are designed and implemented by a diverse group of students within a school.

Team sports bring people together. Special Olympics Unified Sports® teams do that, too and much more. About 1.4 million people worldwide take part in Unified Sports, breaking down stereotypes about people with intellectual disabilities in a really fun way. ESPN has served as the Global Presenting Sponsor of Special Olympics Unified Sports since 2013, supporting the growth and expansion of this program that empowers individuals with and without intellectual disabilities to engage through the power of sports.

Athletes prepare for soccer, softball, golf, cycling, and flag football events in the statewide Fall Games events presented by Real Estate One Charitable Foundation