Greater Durham Special Olympics

SPECIAL OLYMPICS ONTARIO MISSION STATEMENT
For over 50 years, Special Olympics has grown from a modest program serving local athletes to become the world's largest movement dedicated to promoting respect, acceptance, inclusion, and human dignity for people with intellectual disabilities through sport.

Special Olympics Ontario has optimized the benefits of a healthy and active lifestyle through sport to improve the well-being of individuals with an intellectual disability. We continue to improve and expand the quality, opportunity and accessibility of sport to individuals with an intellectual disability. Along with this, we strive to improve upon both the awareness and support of the community in regards to Special Olympics Ontario and those involved with us. As an organization, we work to ensure our volunteers are strongly committed to acting locally while thinking globally. Through these steps, we hope to continue to build upon the past success of the organization.

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Greater Durham Special Olympics (G.D.S.O.) is the local level of Special Olympics Ontario, which is part of a dynamic world-wide, not-for-profit organization dedicated to enriching the lives of people with an intellectual disability through involvement in sport. As a volunteer-driven organization, the support of local businesses and individuals is important for the success of our programs. Athletes range in age from 2 - 80 and have the opportunity to train in 18 core sports. The Greater Durham Community of Special Olympics Olympics Ontario has more than 350 registered athletes and over 100 volunteers committed to the growth of our athletes. 

About the Golf Tournament

Sponsorship and fundraising allows Special Olympics athletes to access appropriate equipment and training venues, affords them the opportunity to compete locally and elsewhere, and helps offset the cost of uniforms. Such support results in our members participating in quality programs. This tournament began as a fundraising platform for one of the GDSO softball teams to represent Greater Durham, Ontario, and Canada at the Special Olympics North American (SONA) softball championships in 2019. Since then, the tournament has expanded it's reach to help raise funds to benefit athletes from all sports within the Greater Durham Community. Since it's inception in 2019, the GDSO golf tournament has raised $35,000 net, going back to the community and it's athletes.

Every year, we continue to grow and develop this tournament to make it a lasting legacy and a staple for fundraising within Greater Durham.