In Honor of Eunice Kennedy Shriver Day, we are proud to share a thesis paper written on Mrs. Shriver. Eunice Kennedy Shriver By Julia Keith Just 50 years ago, people born with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD) were perceived as incapable of learning or contributing to society and were often treated as outcasts. In the early 1960’s, a woman with a vision created the Special Olympics, changing the lives of the mentally disabled and their families forever. This visionary was Eunice Kennedy Shriver. EKS believed that if she created an arena for the mentally disabled to engage in athletics,…

Today was a big day at the “Yawk”! We are excited to announce that beginning with 2016, the August sports tournament will be held in and around Marlborough, MA. Along with Mayor Arthur Vigeant, and the Marlborough Economic Development Corporation, Special Olympics Athlete Gregg Gallant, VP of Sports Matt Ruxton and CEO Mary Beth McMahon announced the news at a press event this morning at the Special Olympics Massachusetts State Offices – the Yawkey Sports Training Center. The inaugural event will be held on August 27-28, 2016 and will serve at the culminating tournament for the summer sports season….

[facebook url=”https://www.facebook.com/RudermanFamilyFoundation/videos/1017949728272577/” /] Special Olympics Massachusetts is! We’re excited to be a co-sponsor of the upcoming Ruderman Inclusion Summit. In addition this role, CEO Mary Beth McMahon will be presenting at the summit, being held at the Seaport World Trade Center in Boston on November 1 & 2, 2015. She will be accompanied by a pair of Unified Partners from a high school in the state. Please consider joining Mary Beth and other leaders who are playing a role in advocating for and advancing the inclusion of people with disabilities. Register today and tell us why you’re IN. Learn more and register here:…

By: Theresa Gaffney Erin Delahunty—or “Tee-tee” as her nieces and nephews call her, because the first couldn’t pronounce “auntie”—loves to run.  She started participating in Special Olympics events as a high schooler growing up in Connecticut.  Delahunty says that she chose running because she wanted to see what track and field would be like, and figured it would be fun to be active outside.  Decades later, at 40 years old, she’s still at it. Delahunty is a distance runner, and an impressive one at that.  At the 2003 World Games in Dublin, Ireland, she ran the 1500 and 3000…

On Monday, August 31st, a couple of special guests stopped by the Salem Country Club to learn about a fundraising campaign. McGladrey LLP is a leading U.S. provider of assurance, tax and consulting services and employs more than 8,000 people nationwide. On Monday, they were kicking off the three-month long Birdies Fore Love campaign. The campaign was born from the partnership between McGladrey and PGA tour veteran Davis Love III’s charitable foundation. Davis Love III described it this way “This is an exciting program and a fun way to raise additional dollars for charities. I am very proud of…

Mary Gallagher really is a superstar. No, she is not Michael Phelps or Missy Franklin. She did not compete in the Special Olympics World Games in LA. Mary is however, a 70 year-old blind swimmer who resides at the Wrentham Developmental Center. One of her favorite activities is going to the pool, and she enjoys attending the SOMA Aquatics Day every year – happening on September 3, 2015. In a typical week, she attends the pool twice, once with her habilitation coordinator and once with her Adapted Physical Education instructor. In the pool with her APE instructor, Megan, she follows…

A new phenomenon was born this summer – #SOMAStars shares the stories of Special Olympics Massachusetts athletes, volunteers and partners. Here is a look back at the summer of stars! #SOMAStars Cory P. Sports: Basketball & Bowling While helping out at a Western Mass Dunkin’ Donuts Tip-a-cop event, Corey was asked what Special Olympics Meant to him, here is what he had to say: “Special Olympics Massachusetts to me is that social equality, social interaction through friends, good sports, good company, a lot of good laughs and just enjoying yourself. [It’s about] overcoming every obstacle you have with a…

Special Olympics Massachusetts was excited to spotlight our relationship with Olympia Moving and Storage – our official logistics partner – on Special Olympics Day at Fenway Park. The presentation of a plaque expressing our continued thanks for the support and logistical assistance provided by Olympia took place prior to a game between the Red Sox and the Kansas City Royals on August 20, 2015. Special Olympics 2015 World Games athlete Amanda Church, fresh off her medal winning performance in Los Angeles, presented the plaque to CEO Michael Gilmartin and his son, VP of Sales & Marketing Piet Gauchat and Marketing…

Special Olympics Rhode Island athlete Kellen Moran, sang the Star Spangled Banner before the Red Sox took on the Kansas City Royals at Fenway Park on August 20, 2015. The Red Sox hosted the annual Special Olympics Day at Fenway to honor athletes from around New England.  

We love our partners, especially when they host us at their camp! This past Thursday, August 13th, Special Olympics Massachusetts was lucky enough to visit Grotonwood Camp in Groton, MA to run a skills day competition. Adults with intellectual disabilities in the Grotonwood program participated in throwing, kicking, hitting and running drills topped off with a closing ceremony complete with Special Olympics Medals. This event would not have been as successful without the help of another group of partners – four members of the EMC2 finance department from Hopkinton, MA who helped out on one of the volunteer days…