• Special Olympics crosses all demographic boundaries and reaches 1 out of every 6 families
• Supports more than 26,000 athletes in Southern California
• We provide 125 competitions with year-round training covering 12 different sports
• Our programs are 100% free to the athletes
• 82,727 Southern California donors
• Special Olympics has a loyal army of more than 15,000 volunteers in Southern California
• Over 4,000 Law Enforcement officers personally support Special Olympics as their charity of choice in Southern California alone
• 97% Brand Recognition
• Recognized as a “Four Star” charity, its top rating, by Charity Navigator in June, 2016
• 93% of all funds raised go to support local athletes (2% general administrative expense and 5% fundraising expense)

Fact Sheet

Who we are - Special Olympics Southern California is a year-round sports program for more than 26,000 children and adults with intellectual disabilities. Sports training and competitions are offered throughout  Southern California in: Aquatics, Athletics (track & field), Basketball, Bocce, Golf, Gymnastics in the spring, and Bowling, Floor Hockey, Soccer, Softball, Volleyball, and Tennis in the fall.

The history - The concept for Special Olympics was born in the early 1960s when Eunice Kennedy Shriver started a day camp for people with intellectual disabilities at her home in Rockville, Maryland. The first International Special Olympics Games were held in 1968 at Soldier Field, Chicago, with 1,000 athletes with intellectual disabilities from 26 states and Canada.

Today - Mrs. Shriver's vision of an international sports organization for people with intellectual disabilities, one that would bring the joy and pride developed through sports competition to those the world believed could not learn or play sports, has grown into the largest successful sports organization in the world. There are Programs in every state in the U.S. and in more than 170 countries worldwide serving more than 4.5 million Special Olympics athletes. In Southern California, athletes ages 8 - 88 participate in Special Olympics programs.

Who is eligible - Eligible athletes are children and adults, at least eight-years-old, with a medically defined intellectual disability and may also include individuals with combination deaf-blindness, autism, traumatic head injury, and most individuals with cerebral palsy and specific learning disabilities. Children ages two through seven may participate in Special Olympics Young Athlete program which focuses on motor skill development.  Children in grades kindergarten through high school also compete in SOSC’s School Program which offers training and competition during a student’s regularly scheduled physical education period in schools throughout Southern California.

Unified Sports - Unified Sports® is a team experience that combines an equal number of athletes with and without intellectual disabilities, of similar age and ability. Our Unified Sports® programs include Basketball, Golf, Soccer, Softball and Athletics (track/field). Unified Sports ® broadens the scope of athletic competition for athletes and spectators. The program facilitates inclusion of Special Olympics athletes throughout the community.

Updated: December 28, 2016