Special Olympics Kansas

Only one week to go until our second Topgolf Tip-A-Cop event scheduled for September 7. Don't miss this chance to support Kansas athletes and have fun with your friends, family, or colleagues. Reserve your bay today at Topgolf and enjoy a friendly competition while showing your support for our local law enforcement officers who will be serving as celebrity waiters during the event. All tips and donations will go directly to Special Olympics programs in our community.

For more information and to reserve your bay: https://topgolf.com/us/driving-for-good/special-olympics-topgolf/

Join us on September 7th for the Northwest Kansas Truck Convoy in support of Special Olympics Kansas! Whether you’re driving a big rig, a classic car, or want to come out and support, this is your chance to hit the road for a great cause. Your entry includes a spot in the convoy, a t-shirt, and dinner!

🛣️ Starting Locations:
Western Leg: Goodland, KS @ Short and Sons Trucking
Eastern Leg: Oakley, KS @ Mittens TA Travel Plaza

🕒 Schedule:
Goodland: 2 PM MT Registration | 3 PM MT Convoy Start
Oakley: 3 PM CT Registration | 4 PM CT Convoy Start
Colby: 5 PM Arrival | 5:30 PM Dinner, Auction & Yard Games | 6:45 PM Convoy through Colby

Let’s make this the best convoy yet and show our support for our amazing athletes! For more info, contact Brent Kaiser at [email protected]. See you on the road! 🚚💨

Special Olympics Kansas and the Crawford County, Kansas Sheriff's Office will be hosting the Duck N’ Jeep Derby on September 7th in Pittsburg, KS. There will be Best Decorated & People's Choice contests, as well as Pluck-A-Duck. Tag a Jeep friend! 🦆

Secure your spot in the derby today: https://charity.pledgeit.org/JeepDuckShow2024

Our CEO, John Lair proudly led a delegation from Special Olympics Kansas to The Dream Ride Experience in Farmington, Connecticut! 🚗

Hosted by Hometown Foundation Inc., this motorcycle and car show weekend is filled with fun, community, and advocacy for inclusion. This event and year-round movement highlights the determination to overcome challenges and shatter stereotypes for those with intellectual or developmental disabilities.

We are so happy to be able to provide our athletes with incredible opportunities like this. ❤

🍂 Volunteer with Special Olympics Kansas This Fall! 🍂

We're thrilled for an action-packed season with multiple events across the state, and we need your help to make them all a success! 🌟

📅 Upcoming State Events:

State Softball & Golf Competitions 🥎⛳️
Dates: October 4-6
Location: Wichita

State Volleyball & Co****le Competitions 🏐🎯
Dates: November 8-9
Location: Shawnee

But that's not all! We have many more events and opportunities to get involved with throughout the fall. Whether you’re passionate about sports or just want to lend a hand, we’d love to have you join our team.

🔗 Sign up now for one of our many available openings!
https://soks.givepulse.com/group/events/165948

Questions? Contact Tim Rehder at [email protected].

Help us make this fall amazing for our athletes! 🍁💪

A big 'thank you' to Premier Volvo Cars Overland Park for their amazing support at State Bowling 🎳❤ You helped put on a competition to remember!

🎉🚔🍩 What a fantastic day! Our Cops at Donuts fundraiser was a huge success, and it’s all thanks to you! 🙌

A huge shoutout to everyone who came out and supported Special Olympics Kansas. With your generous donations and the incredible efforts of law enforcement, we were able to spread the word and raise funds for our amazing athletes! 🏅💙

Special thanks to for hosting us across the state and helping make this event so memorable. Together, we’re making a difference and lighting the way for our athletes! 🌟

Meet the athletes and coach from Kansas who will represent the US next March in Italy at the Special Olympics World Games. Allison Schell​ and Lisa Elsener will compete in Alpine Skiing, and Brady Tanner​, Bekah Henderson​, and Layne Warner​ will compete in Snowshoeing. John Lair will coach.

Allison, Bekah, Brady, Layne, Lisa, and John join a select group from across the country to make up Special Olympics USA at the World Winter Games. Read full bios and learn more at SpecialOlympicsUSA.org.

U-S-A! Special Olympics USA has announced its official delegation for the Special Olympics World Games in Italy next March. Watch the announcement video & look out for our Kansas representatives! Full KS announcement coming TONIGHT 🏅

Special Olympics USA Delegation Announcement - Turin 2025

We’re excited for Kansas to be represented at next year’s Special Olympics World Games. Meet the full Special Olympics USA team with us tomorrow!

Daniel, SOKS Social Media Influencer, was at State Bowling having lots of fun & talking to our athletes. Check it out here:

State Bowling Interviews Thank you for watching our video! Please be sure to share and like and check out our other socials!Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/specialolympicskansas/I...

Meet Jason, an amazing athlete who has been shining with Special Olympics Kansas for 34 years! Jason is a member of the Topeka Stars where he has competed in a multitude of sports. He represented Kansas at the 2022 USA Games, showing his incredible skills in softball!

Over the years, Jason has been active and engaged in both athlete leadership trainings and Health Messenger training. This past year, Jason completed the first ever Athletes as Coaches training and coached a basketball team of peers alongside coach and mentor, Allan Henderson! 🏀 But that's not all—Jason also excels in volleyball, bowling, and track. 🎳🏐

Jason has previously worked for the Self Advocate Coalition of Kansas and is now embarking on a new journey as he starts school to earn his CNA license in September. When he's not on the court or field, Jason loves wood burning, adding another creative touch to his many talents!

Justin truly embodies what it means to be a Special Olympics Kansas athlete and community leader. Join us in cheering him on as he continues to achieve greatness, with SOKS and beyond! 🙌

YOU have the power to change the world for people with intellectual disabilities. Join us on by getting involved in your community. Learn more at: https://soks.org/get-involved/

🎉 Big shout-out to Ana Bailey, our Special Olympics Kansas Marketing Summer Intern! 🎉

Over the past few months, Ana has made a remarkable impact through her work on various projects, including photography, videography, video editing, social media planning, and community networking. Her dedication and creativity have left a lasting impression on both our team and the Special Olympics Kansas community.

As Ana wraps up her internship, she’s gearing up for her final year of undergraduate studies in Digital Storytelling with a minor in Journalism.

Thank you for everything, Ana! We wish you all the best in your future endeavors and look forward to seeing all the amazing things you’ll achieve!

We still have limited tables for the 2024 Victory Gala, but they're selling fast! Reserve your spot while you can: https://soks.org/victory-gala/

Special Olympics Kansas and the Crawford County, Kansas Sheriff's Office will be hosting the Duck N’ Jeep Derby on September 7th in Pittsburg, KS. There will be Best Decorated & People's Choice contests, as well as Pluck-A-Duck. Get your ducks in a row and mark your calendars for a day of fun!

Secure your spot in the derby today: https://charity.pledgeit.org/JeepDuckShow2024

More info: Special Olympics Kansas Southeast Region

📰August is National Make-a-Will Month.📰
An up-to-date will allows you to leave your assets to loved ones and the causes you care most about. Take the first step and start your plan with Giving Docs, a free will-writing platform for Special Olympics supporters >> https://support.specialolympics.org/a/planned-giving-giving-docs?ms=Kansas_PGC

Mark your calendars for August 23rd from 7:00 AM to 10:00 AM and join us at ALL Dunkin’ locations across Kansas! On this morning, Kansas Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics officers will be stationed at Dunkin’ stores statewide, collecting free-will donations to support our incredible athletes.

See you at Dunkin’ on August 23rd! 🍩☕

Thousands of athletes, coaches, Unified partners & fans from around the world will gather in Italy next year for the Special Olympics World Games. The official team for Special Olympics USA will be announced in one week! Stay tuned for exciting updates from Kansas.

We want to help our Local Programs recognize program supporters and athletes! To do this, we are introducing our NEW Certificate of Appreciation in 2024. Each team can recognize one individual or organization that supports the program in any capacity. SOKS will provide your program with a certificate.

Nominate now: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd91t0DcKaWPAPaU8JUyUkb6bBjQR0ipH8yI4T0hLByKccqQQ/viewform

Between individual, doubles, and a variety of team events that Special Olympics athletes can take part in, it’s no wonder bowling is 1 of the most popular sports in Kansas! It's day 2 of State Bowling - Happy !

What an incredible start to State Bowling! Our athletes are bringing their A-game, and the energy in the lanes was unbeatable. Download our app to stay updated and view photos from Day 1! 🏅🎳

Think you have what it takes?? 💪 On Sept. 15th, Kansas Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics is hosting their annual Heroes Pull in Shawnee. Each team will attempt to pull a Lenco Bear and a fire truck. Each vehicle weighs about 30,000 lbs. The team with the quickest combined time wins. Weigh in will be at 1 PM, pull starts at 2 PM.
Register here: https://charity.pledgeit.org/heroespullshawnee24

We are thrilled to welcome three incredible individuals to our Board of Directors! Please join us in welcoming Matt Hamilton, Jody Gregory, and Greg Schmidt to the .

Together, Matt, Jody, and Greg will help us further our mission and support our athletes in reaching their full potential. Welcome aboard! 🚀

Daniel, our Social Media Influencer recently visited one of our newest partners for 2024 State Bowling, Premier Volvo Cars Overland Park ! 🚗✨

Check out his incredible experience and announcement regarding this week's State Bowling competitions! 🎳

🔗 https://youtube.com/shorts/mNix0L8BOHs?si=iqMXpgmVTAUuqqBW