Our History
The concept of Special Olympics was born in the early 1960s, when Eunice Kennedy Shriver started a day camp for people with developmental disabilities at her home in Rockville, Maryland. Her vision quickly gained recognition and momentum, and in 1968 the first international Special Olympic Games were held at Soldier Field, Chicago, bringing together over 1,000 athletes with development disabilities from 26 states and Canada.
Since then, Mrs. Shriver’s vision has grown into one of the largest and most successful sports and volunteer organizations in the world.
Stanislaus Special Olympics
Stanislaus Special Olympics had its start with a track meet at Riverbank High School in 1973. The event was attended by Special Education students from schools in Stanislaus County. One athlete from this event was chosen to the California Special Olympics event held at U.C.L.A.
Soon after the event, a group of parents and teachers gathered together to form Stanislaus Special Games. This group became a non-profit corporation in 1975 and sponsored a once per year event at Modesto Junior College. We held our track meet on Saturdays to include adult athletes as well as school age athletes. The second year more athletes were able to attend the State Games at U.C.L.A. Stanislaus Special Games operated as a part of California Special Olympics for the next 20 years.
As the program progressed, we added a bowling program held weekly at Modesto Bowl. Later, week- end training programs in track and field, swimming, soccer, softball, basketball, floor hockey,
gymnastics, volley ball, cycling, winter sports and power lifting were added. During this time, Stanislaus County sent teams to the World Games held in New York, Louisiana, and Indiana.
In 1995 Stanislaus Special Games merged with Northern California Special Olympics and we became Stanislaus Special Olympics. Special Olympics in Stanislaus County has always been an all volunteer organization, depending on the support of the local community to fund our program.
Stanislaus Special Olympics continues to operate as part of the Northern California group and now offers year- round training and competitions in track and field, bowling, swimming, soccer, basketball, bocce and softball.
We provide year- round sports training and competition in Olympics-type sports for athletes eight years of age and older with developmental disabilities. Our programs give our athletes continuing opportunities to develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage, experience joy and participate in the sharing of skills and friendship with their families, other athletes, and the community.
Our Mission
Our mission is to provide year-round sports training and athletic competition in a variety of Olympic type sports for individuals with developmental disabilities by giving them continuing opportunities to develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage, experience joy, and participate in a sharing of skills and friendship with their families, other Special Olympics athletes and the community.
Core Values
- Sportsmanship – A commitment to fairness, ethics, respect, and fellowship in competition and in life. “Let me win, but if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt.”
- Volunteerism – A commitment to celebrating and appreciating volunteers, who do good to benefit others without seeking personal reward or remuneration.
- Acceptance – A commitment to openly embrace and welcome all others without regard to ability, race, religion, age gender or sexual orientation.