FARMINGTON VALLEY UNIFIED SPECIAL OLYMPICS

Unified Sports brings together persons without intellectual disabilities together on the same team with persons with intellectual disabilities of comparable age and athletic ability.  Founded in 1987, Unified Sports fosters the integration of persons with intellectual disabilities into schools and community sports programs.

During the course of each year, the Farmington Valley Unified Special Olympics Program offers up to five sports per year for athletes with disabilities, as well as volunteers.  Since 1992, the Farmington Valley ARC has been committed to enhancing the lives of adults with intellectual disabilities through the Special Olympics Unified Sports Program.  Having started out with only one coach, seven special athletes and five volunteers, the program has grown by leaps and bounds to include;  nine coaches, thirty three special athletes, and twenty-six volunteers. Most of the athletes and volunteers come from Simsbury, Avon, Farmington, Burlington, Canton, and Unionville.

Currently, we offer both team and skills competition for higher and lower skilled athletes in Softball, Soccer, Basketball*, Bowling*, and  Floor Hockey. All athletes are required to pay a registration fee of $40.00 at the start of each season to help cover the overall cost of sending the athletes to the state games. Farmington Valley covers the remaining cost for the volunteers.

The Unified Sports Program continues to be successful through the dedication and hard work of parents, families, athletes, and volunteers, as well as continued contributions and assistance from Town Recreation Departments, Civic Groups, and local Law Enforcement.

Additionally, volunteers and athletes take part in an annual Special Olympic fundraiser known as a Penguin Plunge. In this collaborative effort, many of our dedicated folks get donations from friends, families, and businesses, in order to raise needed funds for both the local and state level programs. This event takes place throughout the state during the months of January, February, and March. In 2005, the town of Farmington will be hosting its first ever Plunge.

For further information on the Farmington Valley Unified Special Olympic program, please contact Alex Buettiker (Local-Coordinator) at the Arc of the Farmington Valley (FAVARH) (693-6662  ext. 127).

*These programs do not currently offer skills competition