At the 2025 Annual Celebration of Inclusion, held at the Seaport Hotel in Boston, Special Olympics Massachusetts athletes, families, volunteers, partners, and supporters gathered from across the Commonwealth to reflect on an amazing year.

The evening opened with a message of gratitude from President and CEO Mary Beth McMahon, thanking the people in the room who helped Special Olympics Massachusetts serve more athletes, host more competitions, and grow stronger than ever before.

Over the last year, the Special Olympics MA community truly raised the bar:

• 20,000+ athletes and Unified partners participated in programs
• 27,000 volunteer hours powered more than 1,000 competitions
• $1.3 million raised through the Polar Plunge
• The Law Enforcement Torch Run achieving international “Diamond Level” recognition
• The Xtra Mile community raised nearly $1 million
• 7,000 athletes and 6,000 Unified partners across 427 Unified Champion Schools are thriving in classrooms, lunchrooms, and playgrounds

Sports programming reached new heights, including the full delegation selected for the 2026 Special Olympics USA Games in Minnesota. Bridgewater-Raynham’s Unified Flag Football team, chosen to represent Massachusetts at USA Games, made two special trips this year: first to Minnesota for joint training sessions with Special Olympics Minnesota, and later to Nashville, where they played on the field at Nissan Stadium after the Patriots’ away game.

Speaking of the New England Patriots, the evening also featured a special appearance from New England Patriots wide receiver and Special Olympics Global Ambassador Mack Hollins, who energized the crowd while celebrating athlete leadership on and off the field.

“Special Olympics isn’t just about sports. It’s about connection, confidence, community, and creating spaces where EVERY person is seen for their ability instead of their limitation,” said Mack. “We’ve watched athletes walk into a gym unsure and walk out standing tall. We’ve seen parents exhale because their child is understood. And we’ve seen friendships form that never would have happened without this movement.”

Honoring the 2025 Community Impact Award Recipients

A central part of the Annual Celebration is recognizing individuals whose leadership fuels the movement.

Bob Beach Award: Chris Eldridge

As a longtime head coach of the Seven Hills golf skills and drills program, Chris has built a warm, inclusive space where athletes learn, grow, and thrive. Families say his caring, encouraging approach defines their entire season. Chris and his wife Maura have made Seven Hills golf a model of inclusion!

Community Impact Awards

Brian Meehan
A passionate leader in Boston and Lynn, Brian has dedicated his time to building skills centers, mentoring young volunteers, and opening doors for athletes to discover their strengths. His leadership is strengthening urban programming in powerful ways.

David & Rachael Lapierre
The Lapierres have transformed the golf experience for athletes by offering practice times and hosting the State Golf Tournament at the Stone-E-Lea Golf Course completely free of charge. Their generosity ensures athletes not only play the game but truly feel they belong on the green.

John Breault
A former Unified partner turned coach and Unified Champion School liaison, John has spent more than a decade shaping one of the state’s most celebrated Unified programs at Dartmouth High School. Dartmouth High is now a two-time National Banner School, and John continues expanding opportunities for students long after graduation.

Boston Firefighters Local 718 & Lenny Coppenrath
For 15 years, our Over the Edge fundraiser in Boston has relied on a partnership with Boston Firefighters Local 718. Their team provides more than 30 trained volunteers each year to keep the event safe, and their unwavering enthusiasm has made the event possible since day one. Equally impactful is longtime fundraiser Lenny Coppenrath, who leads Emily’s Edgers in honor of his daughter Emily and has helped raise more than $250,000 over the years. Lenny not only consistently tops the fundraising charts, but also recruits new team members so more people can experience the power of inclusion. Together, Boston Fire and Lenny embody the courage, community, and commitment this event represents.

Celebrating 50 Years with the Nothnagles

A deeply emotional moment came when the Nothnagle family including Taffy, Jeff, and their son Jay, was honored for five decades of leadership. From building the Scituate program to pioneering the sailing initiative to leading fundraising, their impact has woven through every single corner of the movement.

At the end of the night, the room was reminded of a statement shared earlier by powerlifter and board member James Keith, “Inclusion goes both ways.” Every volunteer, every coach, every donor, every partner, and every athlete helps shape a more inclusive Massachusetts.

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