News & Events

This page contains all events within South Simcoe (which servers the Angus, Borden, Alliston, Beeton, & Tottenham areas, and beyond) as well as provincial events and competitions. Please see the Sports page for a list of sports, and their dates, etc.

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Cheers to Over Twenty Years!

3 Nov 2020

Despite South Simcoe Special Olympics not being able to return to programs for the fall 2020 season, the planning has not slowed down for when they can. Currently, the community council is in a transition phase following the recent retirement of a pair of key, long-time volunteers: Community Coordinator Mark Shave, and Treasurer Katie Shave. This husband-and-wife team leave a legacy of tremendous support for athletes with an intellectual disability in Angus, Alliston and Cookstown and other communities across Essa and New Tecumseth.

Mark and Katie, who both started in 1998, have together involved themselves in each of the sports offered by Special Olympics in South Simcoe, either as coaches, team managers, or as supporters at competitions and other special events. Mark’s own experience in 5-pin bowling allowed him to be a mentor for athletes and volunteers alike at the weekly sessions, while Katie kept things organized for bowling and basketball. Together, Mark and Katie have enjoyed seeing new sports develop, including bocce which has become popular over the past couple of years, as well as a multi-sport program for children that has attracted young families.

Mark’s passion for wanting athletes to have opportunities in sport is what has driven him to put things in place to ensure the programs have a solid foundation. Mark has developed many ongoing partnerships across the community, including with the local municipal councils, with local chapters of service clubs such as the Knights of Columbus, and with officials at CFB Borden. The support of these partners, and many other local organizations and businesses, leads to the successes the athletes experience as part of the Special Olympics program.

Mark and Katie received their 20-year Years of Service awards in 2019, and the community is so very appreciative of the joint commitment they have shown to the Special Olympics athletes in South Simcoe over that time. Now that Mark and Katie have decided to pass the torch, the incoming council will endeavour to maintain the excellent programming that the athletes and their supporters have come to enjoy.

Special Olympics Ontario enriches the lives of athletes with an intellectual disability through involvement in sport training and competition. To find out more about Special Olympics programs in South Simcoe, or to become involved as an athlete, volunteer or supporter, please contact Special Olympics Ontario District Developer Hellaina Rothenburg at 888 333 5515 ext. 276 or hellainar@specialolympicsontario.com.