Special Olympics Indiana

Want to learn more about LifeCourseConnect? It is a tool for individuals and families in Indiana’s disability community and helps you build a future you want for yourself, your loved ones, or someone you support. To learn more, attend the Zoom webinar session on Tuesday, Dec. 12 from 1-1:45 p.m. To attend, register at https://soind.org/LCC.

And with that, the 2023 bowling season comes to an end! 🎳 This year, we had 500 more athletes and Unified partners compete in the state championship than in 2022. Thank you to all of our athletes, parents, and volunteers from around the state for coming together to make the event a success! Check out the photos below to see some highlights ⬇️

Also, a special shout to our sponsors Katz, Sapper & Miller for your support and volunteerism!

📷: Dorian McDaniel

Did you miss our Giving Tuesday match? We're extending it so you get another chance to DOUBLE YOUR IMPACT! Don't miss out — athletes are counting on you. » https://soind.org/giving24

Today is Giving Tuesday! 🎉 Show your support for Special Olympics athletes in Indiana and beyond. Donate now for DOUBLE the impact! » https://soind.org/giving24

We're matching all donations for Giving Tuesday — and kicking off our matching opportunity early so you don't miss out! Give now to double your gift! » https://soind.org/giving24

It is with heavy hearts that we recognize the life and legacy of Jimmy Erskine, Carl and Betty Erskine’s son. Jimmy, who passed away over the weekend, was an inspiration to our community. As we mourn his passing, let's also celebrate the great life Jimmy had, due to Carl and Betty’s ever-present love and support. Jimmy was expected to live until 30 but beat this prognosis by decades and passed away at 63. To see Jimmy and Carl throughout history, please read the Indy Star article » https://soind.org/JimmyMemorial.

Thank you to Dana Hunsinger Benbow for a great article!

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday! We are so thankful for all of you: our athletes, coaches, chaperones, volunteers, donors, and more! We could not do what we do without you! May your day be filled with love, laughter, and moments of gratitude. 🧡

This past weekend, one of our athletes, Ben Gregory, had the opportunity to participate in the third-ever tournament! During the , Ben participated in the Halftime show alongside WWE Superstar Xavier Woods and Kate Yeager. Xavier attempted to beat his time from last year in Blackbeard’s Run speed run course, but Ben’s score last year of 16’45” remains the fastest! Great job to Ben!

To learn more, please visit https://www.specialolympics.org/gaming-for-inclusion.

What do a bowler and a Thanksgiving guest have in common? Answer: They both want a Turkey!

We need volunteers for the Bowling State Championship taking place on Dec. 2 and 3! As a lane assistant, you will be responsible for ensuring that athletes are competing in the correct order and lane, and cheering them on as they compete. No experience is necessary and training takes place on-site! 🎳

Sign up to volunteer today! » https://soind.org/2023bowling.

We have one final Gordon Homes Workshop this year! If you live in the Columbus area, please mark your calendar for Nov. 28! This workshop is free to attend and will allow you to learn more about government benefits, the importance of a will, and more. Visit https://soind.org/ghomesworkshop to register and attend!

Congratulations to Gold Medal winners St Joe Rockets & Silver Medal winners Ripley Ohio Dearborn Mustangs!!🏐🥇🥈Great day for 34 teams competing at the State Volleyball Championships today at Munciana Volleyball complex in Yorktown!!!

Athletes with intellectual disabilities in Indiana are eager for some Special Olympics basketball, bowling, volleyball, and so much more in 2024! And the best news you'll hear today is that YOU can bring these games and life-changing experiences to them by supporting the 2024 Athlete Fund.

Donate now to help get more athletes into the game next year and your gift will be MATCHED » https://soind.org/2024fund.

As a reminder, the Christmas Nights of Lights are taking place at the Indiana State Fairgrounds & Event Center now! Please grab your tickets before time runs out. Sunday, Nov. 19 is the last day to visit where a portion of the proceeds benefit our athletes! Visit to purchase your tickets today » https://soind.org/cnol.

That’s a wrap on our Indy Breakfast with Champions event! Thank you so much to the Table Captains and their guests who attended this year’s Indy Breakfast with Champions event! Also, thank you so much to Jeff Mohler, President & CEO, Laura Steele for emceeing the event, and John K Wheeler for speaking and sharing his story. To celebrate all that John has overcome and the accomplishments he has had along the way, please visit our blog! John’s humility has touched our hearts, and we hope it does the same to yours https://soindiana.org/humility-john-wheeler/.

ESPN Unified Sports Rivalry Series
Congrats to Purdue University Flag Football Team with a 65-26 win over Special Olympics Notre Dame

Deck the halls with Special Olympics. Get the 2023 ornament with a gift of $65 or more! » https://soind.org/ornament.

Josh Holley is one marathon closer to his goal of completing the Abbott World Marathon Majors: Six Star Challenge. Over the weekend, he ran in the New York City Marathon! 🏆 🗽 Congrats to Josh for all he has accomplished thus far, and we wish him luck in the next races overseas! To read more about Josh’s journey and the support team behind him, including family, friends, and colleagues, check out the WTHR article >> https://soind.org/jhnyc.

Finally, we wanted to share Josh’s motto that he embraces in every race he does: “Our Ability is STRONGER than our dis-Ability.”

📷: Malachi Henry

Butler University’s Women’s Basketball team is hosting a Special Olympics Indiana Night this weekend! Mark your calendar for Nov. 12 at 5 p.m. and secure a ticket to the game » https://soind.org/butler-wbb.

We're spreading holiday cheer at the Christmas Gift + Hobby Show on Nov. 8-12 from 10 a.m. - 8 p.m. (and until 5 p.m. on Sunday)! Visit our booth this week to support our athletes by donating to the Law Enforcement Torch Run for our Cover the Cruiser. Plus, you will have the opportunity to learn more and sign up to participate in the 2024 Polar Plunge season!

Ready to celebrate the holiday season? Visit Christmas Nights of Lights at the Indiana State Fairgrounds & Event Center anytime between Nov. 10 and 19 & you'll be supporting our athletes! For everyone who visits that evening, a portion of the proceeds will be donated back to us.

Details » https://soind.org/cnol.

Be bold. Get cold! ❄️ Registration is open now for the 2024 Polar Plunge. This year marks the 25th anniversary of our Polar Plunge fundraiser. Through the years, dedicated volunteers like you have been working together to host these events and bring vital funds for the athletes.

Thank you for everything you do! We can’t wait to go through this milestone year together! » https://soind.org/PolarPlunge

Since 1981, law enforcement officers across the globe have raised more than 1 billion US dollars for their local Special Olympics programs! On behalf of the athletes, families, coaches, volunteers, and staff across the globe – THANK YOU Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics for 42 years of dedication and support!

To learn more about LETR, visit our website » https://soindiana.org/law-enforcement-torch-run/.

Thank you to our partners, the Indiana Pacers, for having our athletes at their NBA Jr. Hoops night for the preseason game against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Basketball players from Marion West and Boone Counties were able to play on the court and show off their skills. And we want to give a special shout out to our wonderful coaches and volunteers who were recognized at this event for all their hard work.

Head to our Instagram to see a video of our players in action! https://www.instagram.com/p/CywRYfWOiWn/

Did you know that there is going to be a Tip-A-Cop event next weekend? Come to Topgolf in Fishers to support our Law Enforcement Torch Run (LETR) officers and Special Olympics Indiana And of course, play some golf! We look forward to seeing you anytime on Oct 27 and 28 from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m! ⛳ Thank to our partner, , for hosting the event and supporting our mission! All proceeds raised will stay with your local community. Also, during this event, you have the opportunity to receive a commemorative lapel pin with a minimum $20 donation.

Also, the season of giving is also happening now until Oct. 31: https://soind.org/TipACop. All donations benefit our athletes!

The Carmel Greyhounds are state champs! 🏆 Congratulations to Carmel High School Athletics with a final score of 68-45 with the win over DeKalb High School Athletics Barons in Saturday’s IHSAA Unified Flag Football state championship. Great job to both teams!

Another successful 2023 State Conference is in the books! From the opening session where athletes took part in a “Big Hair” competition and showed off their dance moves to athletes and volunteers having the opportunity to attend personal development sessions, we hope you all had a wonderful time. With over 320 people and 52 counties in attendance, we appreciate everyone who gave their time to come out and support our athletes, and congratulations to all our Spirit of Special Olympics award winners!

Another great year at Athlete Leadership University! Thanks to our hosts at Butler University as well as all athlete leaders, mentors, and instructors! What a wonderful weekend of learning, growth, friendship and inclusion. Take a look at what we accomplished together.

Today, we celebrate the incredible mentors who support and teach our athletes on and off the field. 🙌 Our coaches play a vital role in helping our athletes reach their full potential. Thank you for all you do!

Tag your favorite coach and share a memory or a message of appreciation to show them some love!

Learn how you can become a coach. » https://soind.org/coach

This past afternoon, a Champions Together assembly was held at Lincoln High School in Vincennes! During the assembly, LHS Athletic Director awarded letter jackets to three members of their Unified sports team! Congratulations Alices!

🆒 Fun Fact: Lincoln High School was one of the National Banner School recipients for 2022!

Last Tuesday, athletes from our Unified Champion Schools, Perry Meridian, Warren Central, Martinsville, and Mooresville High School, had the opportunity to play Unified Flag Football with the Indianapolis Colts! Thank you to all the players who came out and we appreciate the immense support of the inclusion revolution we receive from the Indianapolis Colts Community.



📷 credits: Teri Maloney

This year’s EKS Games took place at Brebeuf Jesuit Preparatory School and Grand Park Sports Campus! From Flag Football and Distance Running & Walking to Soccer and Co****le, we hope you had a great afternoon! Thank you so much to all our volunteers, especially the Brebeuf Student Athlete Leadership Team, coaches, and athletes for coming out and playing their hearts out!

Thank you to Sam Fawley and Alec Spaulding for speaking during the halftime ceremonies!



📷 Credits: John Toksoy, Lucy Kitchell, & Thomas Jones

It was another great year for our 4th Annual Bocce Bash Winners: 1st place went to InIt2WinIt who also won the Spirit award!! 2nd place went to The Bottle Ringers, and 3rd Place winners were Bocce Cassidy & the Pallino Kid and EnAbleForAll! Thank you to all Eli Lilly associates for helping make the day a blast for our athletes.

THIS JUST IN: We have 3 schools in the Class of 2023 National Banner Unified Champion Schools: South Ripley High School, Franklin Community High School, and O.J. Neighbours Elementary, which is not only a new school, but the first elementary to be a recipient in the state of Indiana. These three schools have allowed our numbers to grow, and we now have 2️⃣6️⃣ national banner Unified Champion Schools!

To achieve this award, South Ripley, Franklin Community, and O.J. Neighbors met 10 standards of excellence determined by , with a focus on Unified Sports®, inclusive youth leadership, and whole school engagement. Go Raiders, Grizzlies, and Apaches!

To learn more about what it takes to be a national banner school, please visit https://soind.org/UCS-NBS.

Our Fifth Annual Polo Night is happening TONIGHT and you don’t want to miss it!

Athletes, volunteers, and partners are invited to the Hickory Hall Polo Club, where gates will open at 5 p.m. with the match set for 6-9 p.m. The event is open to the public and admission is $40 per carload. This fun night will include picnicking and the always-popular airplane candy drop. Your participation helps empower athletes with intellectual disabilities to unleash their full potential through the power of sports. Click here to learn more https://soindiana.org/fifth-annual-polo-night/.

We need volunteers for our Eunice Kennedy Shriver Games (EKS) coming up this fall! If you are interested in helping on Oct. 1, please click https://soind.org/EKSgames and explore the opportunities we have for ⚽ Soccer, 🌽 Co****le, 🏈 Flag Football, and 🏃‍♀️ Distance Run and Walk. These volunteer opportunities will be taking place at Grand Park in Westfield or Brebeuf High School in Indianapolis.