Special Olympics Alberta is dedicated to enriching the lives of
individuals with an intellectual disability through sport.

ATHLETES

Through the transformative power of sport, Special Olympics gives individuals with intellectual disabilities the strength, determination and confidence to take on any challenge in life. From the age of two, athletes participate in Special Olympics Alberta programs experiencing its benefits. Due to the impact that Special Olympics make on the lives of our athletes and their communities every $1 invested in a Special Olympics community sport program in Alberta, a minimum of $7 of social benefit is created.
3000
Total athletes
700
Young athletes
(21 years and younger)
550
High school students
#PlayUnified
4000
Athlete participation
in sports/programs

“Just watch some of the sports and competitions and see what our athletes are capable of. We are much more than capable, we are people like everyone else.”

- Brock Jesse, SOA-Bow Valley athlete

COACHES

Coaches are the catalysts for athlete development. They provide athletes with the tools to learn their sport, the motivation to help them train, the inspiration to help them succeed, and the resources to be all they can be. Our coaches are inspirational, inclusive, role models who are building a brighter future for individuals with intellectual disabilities.

670
Coach participation in sports/programs
556
Coaches
148
Coaches signed up for SOA-Coach Connect Facebook group
129
coaches enrolled in NCCP training

“I volunteer for the love of sport,” he said. “Special Olympics just puts the fun back into sport. It’s competitive, it’s serious, but it’s also hilarious in a fun, meaningful way. And when you have the opportunity to really make a difference in an athlete’s life, that’s a win-win.”

– Martin McSween, SOA-Drumheller Head Coach

VOLUNTEERS

Volunteers are the main driver for the Special Olympics movement. Not only do they spend hundreds of hours each year coaching and mentoring athletes, they organize events, support fundraising efforts, provide sessions for athletes, advocate for inclusion, and spend tremendous hours doing whatever it takes to better the lives of SOA athletes.
300
Volunteers
0
New Volunteers
500
volunteer participation in sports/programs

COMMUNITIES

Athletes from 141 communities across Alberta experience sport through grass roots community programs. Over this past year some exciting community events were hosted to promote inclusion and the abilities of our athletes.

Northern Floor Hockey League

The Northern Floor Hockey League is an affiliate led, Special Olympics Alberta-supported league open to Floor Hockey teams in close proximity to Edmonton. The league provides developmental opportunities for Floor Hockey athletes in a competitive environment.

This year 12 teams from Edmonton, Spruce Grove & District, St. Albert, Strathcona, and Vegreville battled it out in three different divisions over five weeks.

ROCK THE RINK

Five Special Olympics Alberta athletes hit the ice with Olympians Scott Moir, Tessa Virtue, Patrick Chan, among many others, for Rock the Rink.

Meg Ohsada – Oct. 10 in Red Deer
JorDen Tyson – Oct. 13 in Grande Prairie
Kennedy Zaytsoff – Oct. 16 in Calgary
Moriah Van’t Land – Oct. 17 in Lethbridge
Emma Bittorf – Oct. 19 in Medicine Hat

141
Communities across Alberta

Unified Sports

The Unified Sports season kicked off on November 14th at Lord Beaverbrook High School. The marquee event, which saw 90 athletes and partners from 90 schools in Edmonton and surrounding area, come together for a full day of bocce under the Dome at Foote Field in Edmonton.

HEALTHY AT HOME

Special Olympics Alberta delivered virtual opportunities, giving athletes the chance to attend a weekly schedule of fitness, health, and strong minds sessions.

Our athletes stayed active, connected, informed, and positive through virtual programs like the daily Special Olympics Alberta-Calgary Facebook Live Workouts, Steve Topham training sessions, Sobeys Wellness Wednesday nutrition sessions, and Social Club.

Special Olympics Alberta was able to deliver virtual opportunities, and by collaborating with other chapters athletes are able to attend a weekly schedule of fitness, health, and strong minds sessions.

Our athletes stayed active, connected, informed, and positive through virtual programs like the daily Special Olympics Alberta-Calgary Facebook Live Workouts, Steve Topham training sessions, Sobeys Wellness Wednesday nutrition sessions, and Social Club.

Wellness Wednesdays with Madison

Every Wednesday throughout COVID-19, Special Olympics Alberta-Edmonton athlete Madison Bailey-Borges used her Healthy Messenger training to deliver a message about virtual programming for her fellow athletes.

Social Club

Social Club connects athletes from across North America for a weekly Zoom session hosted by members of motionball and athlete leaders. From May 8 through the end of June, we hosted 14 sessions with 237 total athletes tuning in.

SOA-Calgary Facebook Live Workouts

From March 23 through the end of the year, our Calgary affiliate hosted daily Facebook live workout sessions featuring coaches, ambassadors, staff, volunteers, partners, and athletes leading online workouts for athletes to stay active at home.

103 Total Workouts

21,178 People Reached

43,098 Views

53,406 Engagements

Coast to Coast

On April 14, in collaboration with Special Olympics chapters across the country, the Coast-to-Coast Challenge started and brought athletes, coaches, volunteers, partners, and supporters to virtually walk across Canada together. Participants submitted their daily walk distances and in just three weeks we walked 15,159 km across Canada. Alberta was strongly represented as 82 athletes and volunteers joined the virtual challenge.

This initiative was launched on May 18 as a follow-up to the Coast-to-Coast challenge. Special Olympics organizations across the globe were invited to virtually walk the world together. #WalkTheWorldSO is still underway, and on June 9, over 700 participants arrived in Alberta where we celebrated the Special Olympics affiliates across the province.

ATHLETE DEVELOPMENT

Special Olympics Alberta offers summer and winter sports for ages eight and up, youth programs for ages two to 18, athlete leadership opportunities, Unified Sports, and health programs.

Healthy Athletes

On February 1, 86 total athletes took part in our Healthy Athletes Strong Minds and/or FUNFitness sessions, a community based screening, that took place alongside the annual SOA-Edmonton Joey Moss Invitational Floor Hockey Tournament.
20
FUNFitness participants
20
Strong Minds participants

Members of our Team Alberta Wolfpack took part in Healthy Athletes screenings available to all athletes attending the 2020 National Games. Athletes were able to participate in:

Health Promotion – nutrition, hydration, BMI and healthy living techniques

FUNfitness – physiotherapy, flexibility, balance and injury prevention

Special Smiles – dental screening and education

Opening Eyes – optometry and free eyewear

Strong Minds – mental health and adaptive coping skills

Athlete Leadership

0
Athletes on the Athlete
Leadership Input Council
0
Affiliates on
the ALIC
0
Athletes trained in
2019-2020
0
Mentors trained in
2019-2020

“It's a wonderful opportunity [because] Special Olympics is like a second family and everybody's there to help each other.”

- Dallas Sorken, Alberta Leadership Input Council Chair

SOCIAL IMPACT

Special Olympics Alberta uses sport to reveal the full potential of individuals with intellectual disabilities. The transformation and empowerment of our athletes is a catalyst for social change making healthier, stronger, and more inclusive schools. cultures, and communities.

700

New people eager to learn about our movement on social media

74

Times our movement was featured on media outlets

2765

The number of people learning about our movement on YouTube. (1117 more than 2019)

84,691

The number of times our Instagram Stories were viewed this year

Financials

Total Revenues

 Amount ($)Percentage
National Sponsors 284,37019%
General Donations 155,82911%
Government of Canada* 288,97420%
Government of Alberta 117,9018%
Law Enforcement Torch Run 111,1488%
Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis Commission 196,25913%
Foundations 17,0001%
Motionball 283,18419%
Other Revenue 16,4231%
Total 1,471,088 

*SOA received funds from the Canadian Emergency Wage Subsidy program allowing the organization to maintain staffing levels and capacity.

Total Expenses

 Amount ($)Percentage
Sports and Events 155,32411%
Unified Sport Programs 92,2326%
Provincial Games 32,2972%
Team Alberta 203,71614%
Affiliate Services 468,61232%
Communications 91,0006%
Fund Development 179,35112%
Fund Development – Affiliate Sharing 109,2168%
Law Enforcement Torch Run 114,4478%
Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis Commission -3,005-0.2%
Administration 11,7781%
Total 1,454,968 

TEAM ALBERTA

Team Alberta was represented by 97 athletes and 34 coaches and mission staff who competed at the 2020 Special Olympics Canada Winter Games in Thunder Bay, ON from February 25 to 29. The squad united under the Wolfpack monicker and the symbol of the wolf, howling for each other at their various sporting events throughout the week.

“For the strength of the pack is the wolf, and the
strength of the wolf is the pack”

“We became The Wolfpack over the year and built a true identity that encouraged growth and confidence and support.”

Jodi Flanagan, Team Alberta Chef de Mission.

The Wolfpack earned:

0
Gold Medals
0
Silver Medals
0
Bronze Medals
0
Total Medals
While competing in 8 winter sports: 5-pin bowling, alpine skiing, cross country skiing, curling, figure skating, floor hockey, snowshoe, and speed skating.

Law Enforcement Torch Run

This year we started the Polar Plunge season a little earlier with our first-ever Solar Plunge at Lake Summerside, which paved the way for another great set of plunges!

We smashed our participant record as 590 incredible people
took the plunge across Alberta to raise:

$197,000 for Special Olympics

Polar Plunge is the ultimate team building opportunity and a perfect way to engage your employees. Sign up your organization and challenge them to get #FreezinForAReason in 2021.

“The reward of bringing smiles to the athletes’ faces is indescribable. Sitting in a jail cell at a “Free our Finest” event or having an athlete hang a medal around your neck at the end of a race is memorable. I have both good and bad memories from policing, but the LETR memories are all good. LETR rewards members with good memories and connections with other Law Enforcement members from around the globe.”
– Constable Braylon Hyggen, Alberta LETR Provincial Director
0 +
Hours volunteered by
LETR members
0
Events
$ 500000
Amount Raised

PARTNERS

On behalf of more than 3,300 athletes with intellectual disabilities who participate in Special Olympics programs throughout the province, we would like to thank our partners and donors who make it all possible.

THANK YOU TO THE GENEROUS DONORS WHO ALLOW
US TO MOVE OUR MOVEMENT FORWARD!

Your support can make a difference!

Your donation will impact the lives of thousands of individuals of all ages with intellectual disabilities from across Alberta.