SPECIAL OLYMPICS NORTH DAKOTA INC
2616 S 26TH ST, GRAND FORKS, ND 58201 www.specialolympicsnd.org

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Organizations Filed Purposes: TO PROVIDE YEAR-ROUND SPORTS TRAINING AND COMPETITION IN A VARIETY OF OLYMPIC-TYPE SPORTS FOR CHILDREN AND ADULTS WITH INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES BY GIVING THEM CONTINUING OPPORTUNITIES TO DEVELOP PHYSICAL FITNESS, DEMONSTRATE COURAGE, EXPERIENCE JOY, AND PARTICIPATE IN A SHARING OF GIFTS, SKILLS, AND FRIENDSHIP.

SOND IS A 501(C)(3) ORGANIZATION INCORPORATED IN THE STATE OF NORTH DAKOTA TO ENABLE CHILDREN AND ADULTS WITH INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES TO BECOME A MORE ACCEPTED AND INTEGRAL PART OF THE COMMUNITIES IN WHICH THEY RESIDE. THE PROGRAMS THAT ARE OFFERED BY SOND CREATE AN ENVIRONMENT IN WHICH PERSONS WITH INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES WILL BE PREPARED TO PARTICIPATE IN THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE THROUGH ACTIVITIES THAT WILL (1) BETTER ENABLE THEM TO BE INDEPENDENT, PRODUCTIVE MEMBERS OF SOCIETY; (2) ASSIST THEM IN IMPROVING THEIR OVERALL HEALTH AND SAFETY THROUGH HEALTHY ATHLETE INITIATIVES AND VOLUNTEER TRAINING/EDUCATION; (3) ELIMINATE BARRIERS TO SUPPORT AND OTHER ASSISTANCE THROUGH COMMUNITY EDUCATION; (4) ENHANCE INDIVIDUAL, FAMILY AND CITIZEN PARTICIPATION AND INVOLVEMENT; AND (5) INCREASE ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES TO MORE PEOPLE WITH INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES. ADDITIONALLY SOND DOES NOT, NOR CANNOT, ASSESS ANY FEES TO THE PARTICIPANTS OR THEIR FAMILIES FOR THE PROGRAMS PROVIDED; THEREFORE, FINANCIAL SUPPORT FROM FOUNDATIONS, BUSINESSES AND INDIVIDUALS IS CRITICAL TO SUSTAINING PROGRAMS FOR THE PEOPLE IN ND. EDUCATION AND YOUTH LEADERSHIP IS WHAT SUPPORTS THE YEAR ROUND MISSION OF SPECIAL OLYMPICS AND IS A LARGE PART OF THE MORE THAN 5,230 VOLUNTEERS THAT WERE INVOLVED WITH THE PROGRAM. THE RESOURCES THAT WERE PUT INTO THESE ACTIVITIES WERE A CRITICAL STRATEGY FOR CREATING ENLIGHTENED AND ACTIVATED YOUTH WHO CAN LEAD TODAY AND IN THE FUTURE WHO CAN HELP BUILD STRONGER CIVIL SOCIETIES. TARGETED TRAINING INSURED THAT VOLUNTEERS WERE PROVIDED THE RESOURCES AND DIRECTION TO PARTICIPATING IN PROVIDING OPPORTUNITIES FOR, AND CHANGING ATTITUDES TOWARDS PEOPLE WITH INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES. MOST WIDELY RECOGNIZED WAS THE "SPREAD THE WORD TO END THE WORD" CAMPAIGN.

COMPETITION AND TRAINING IS THE VEHICLE WIDELY USED TO PROVIDE PEOPLE WITH INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES OPPORTUNITIES FOR FITNESS, INCLUSION, ACCEPTANCE AND LEADERSHIP. 2,426 PEOPLE IN NORTH DAKOTA PARTICIPATED IN EITHER A SANCTIONED TRAINING OR COMPETITION EVENT SPONSORED BY SOND AND SUPPORTED BY 340 VOLUNTEER COACHES. THE POWER OF SPORT SHIFTS FOCUS TO WHAT OUR PARTICIPANTS CAN DO, NOT WHAT THEY CAN'T. ATTENTION TO DISABILITIES FADES AWAY. INSTEAD, WE SEE OUR ATHLETES' TALENTS AND ABILITIES. OUR SPORTS AND COMPETITION EVENTS, 85 HELD IN 2019, BROUGHT TOGETHER A LARGE AND INCLUSIVE COMMUNITY OF ATHLETES, SUPPORTERS AND FAMILIES, COACHES, VOLUNTEERS AND MANY OTHERS. AT EACH OF THESE EVENTS, THE EXPERIENCES DEMONSTRATE PURITY OF SPORTS AND REAL ATHLETIC PURSUITS ALL BASED UPON TRUE OLYMPIC IDEALS. SOND PROVIDES YEAR-ROUND TRAINING AND COMPETITION IN 15 OFFICIAL SPORTS. A TOTAL OF 2,426 ATHLETES PARTICIPATED IN SPORTS SUCH AS: 282 IN SOCCER, 238 IN BOCCE, 435 IN BASKETBALL, 585 IN BOWLING, 14 IN DOWN-HILL AND 9 IN CROSS-COUNTRY SKIING, FIGURE AND SPEED SKATING, 38 IN SNOW SHOEING, 84 IN SWIMMING, 66 IN FLAG FOOTBALL, GYMNASTICS, 31 IN POWER LIFTING, 204 IN VOLLEYBALL AND 250 IN TRACK AND FIELD. UNIFIED COMPETITION WAS OFFERED IN THE SPORTS OF BOCCE, SOCCER, VOLLEYBALL AND FLAG FOOTBALL. UNIFIED SPORTS COMBINE PEOPLE WITH AND WITHOUT INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES ON THE SAME TEAM. SPECIAL OLYMPICS NORTH DAKOTA'S 4 ACCREDITED SPECIAL OLYMPICS COLLEGE PROGRAMS: (UND, NDSU, VCSU AND MINOT STATE) 2 OF WHICH COMPETED IN THE 5TH ANNUAL COLLEGE UNIFIED FLAG FOOTBALL TOURNAMENT HELD AT UND. UNIFIED FLAG FOOTBALL WAS ADDED TO THE SPORTS OFFERED AT SUMMER GAMES WITH TWO HIGH SCHOOLS IN FARGO AND WEST FARGO PROVIDING TEAMS, A SOND VOLUNTEER COACH FROM VALLEY CITY WAS RECOGNIZED AS THE SPEICAL OLYMPICS NORTH AMERICA COACH OF THE YEAR FOR QUALITY COACHING AND EXPERTISE PROVIDED TO ATHLETES WITH INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES. SOND HAD AN ATHLETE COMPETE IN THE SPORT OF BOWLING AT THE SPECIAL OLYMPICS WORLD SUMMER GAMES IN ABU DHABI, U.A.E. SOND CONDUCTED TRAINING FOR PEOPLE ACROSS THE STATE WITH INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES TO BECOME "HEALTH MESSENGERS" TO PROMOTE FITNESS AND HEALTHY NUTRITION AND TEACH IT TO OTHERS. SPECIAL SMILES AND OPENING EYES HEALTHY ATHLETE PROGRAMS WERE OFFERED AT SUMMER GAMES WITH 58 ATHLETES SCREENED BY DENTIST AND 82 RECEIVING A COMPREHENSIVE EYE ASSESSMENT AND 60 OF THEM RECEIVING FREE PRESCRIPTION EYEWEAR. DAY OF EVENT VOLUNTEERS INCREASED BY 52% AT THE STATE SOCCER AND BOCCE TOURNAMENT IN GRAND FORKS WITH CLOSE TO 279 VOLUNTEERS. MORE THAN 77% OF THE VOLUNTEER FORCE FOR STATE WINTER GAMES WAS COMPRISED OF STUDENT ATHLETES. THROUGHOUT THE STATE, MORE THAN 300 LAW ENFORCEMENT VOLUNTEERS WERE INVOLVED IN SUPPORT ROLES FOR SPECIAL OLYMPICS.

SOND OFFERS HEALTHY ATHLETE INITIATIVES DEDICATED TO PROVIDING HEALTH SERVICES AND EDUCATION TO SPECIAL OLYMPICS ATHLETES, AND CHANGING THE WAY HEALTH SYSTEMS INTERACT WITH PEOPLE WITH INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES. THROUGH FREE HEALTH SCREENINGS, TRAINING FOR HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS, AND EVALUATION OF THE HEALTH STATUS OF PEOPLE WITH INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES, HEALTHY ATHLETES HAS BECOME A POWERFUL PUBLIC HEALTH ORGANIZATION. SINCE 2003, 1,854 ATHLETES HAVE BEEN SCREENED IN OPENING EYES, SPECIAL SMILES, STRONG MINDS, AND FUN FITNESS AND HEALTH PROMOTION.

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