Volunteers enable Special Olympics to offer sports training and competition programs to nearly one million individuals with mental disabilities on a worldwide basis. Special Olympics would not exist today and could not have been created without the time, energy, dedication, and commitment of the more than 500,000 Special Olympics volunteers.

Volunteers increase integration and socialization opportunities for Special Olympics athletes. The dedication of Special Olympics volunteers provides mainstreaming experiences for athletes with mental disabilities.

Volunteers include students, senior citizens, business people, family members of athletes, amateur and professional athletes and coaches, teachers and many others. They fill a wide variety of roles for Special Olympics programs at the local, state, national and international levels, from the role of coach, to fund-raiser, to timer and scorer.

• Serve as certified Special Olympics coaches.
• Help run Special Olympics sports camps.
• Organize, coach or play on Unified Sports teams.
• Obtain equipment for Special Olympics athletes.
• Use specific sports expertise to help set up sports clinics or Special Olympics training schools.
• Train individuals with more severe handicaps through the Motor Activities Training Program.

• Serve as a driver or food service worker at competitions or assist with registration, computer input or data processing.
• Serve as Games Director, certified official or team manager at Special Olympics competitions.
• Conduct clinics or demonstrations in a new sport.

• Support the Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics
• Make financial or in-kind donations as individuals or through a business.
• Conduct fund-raising campaigns through a civic group, church, or other organization.
• Get involved on the local management team's fund raising committee

• Establish a Special Olympics program in workplaces employing individuals with mental disabilites
• Provide medical support including free physicals and X-rays or provide pro bono legal or accounting services
• Contribute specific skills to help Special Olympics.
• Sponsor or adopt Special Olympics teams.
• Make donations of goods, services, or vital office supplies to local Special Olympics programs.

• Write articles about Special Olympics athletes, families and coaches, or join speakers bureaus.
• Volunteer copy writing, photography or public relations skills to local, state or national Special Olympics programs.
• Train Special Olympics athletes to give presentations through the Global Messenger program.

• Serve on Local or Area committees.
• Help  Special Olympics MN Duluth coaches prepare registration and medical forms. 
• Distribute materials for a Special Olympics event.
• Help Special Olympics MN Duluth with mass-mailing projects.

Civic Groups

• Provide support for Special Olympics programs.
• Adopt local Special Olympics teams.
• Organize Unified Sports teams by combining group members with Special Olympics athletes.
• Encourage group members to volunteer their professional services to Special Olympics programs.

Almost anyone can be a Special Olympics volunteer.

If you are already involved, take pride in knowing that you are an important part of a program that offers opportunities to athletes with mental disabities around the world.

If you would like to get involved and assist Special Olympics athletes in their "Training for Life"

Contact SOMN Duluth

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