The Special Olympics
Joe Mathews
Special Olympics Chairman
My Brother Knights:
I would like to thank you for your ongoing support
of the various programs and events that we do for
Special Olympics at both the local and provincial
levels.
Our partnership with Special Olympics continues
to grow stronger each year, especially through our
Knights of Columbus Flag Relay program. This
program serves as an umbrella for all of the events
and fundraisers that we do for Special Olympics
across Ontario, such as…
• 50/50 Draws in Toronto and Ottawa
• Tootsie Roll Campaign
• Hometown Games (Baseball, Basketball, Soccer,
Bowling, etc.)
• Knights of Columbus Bottle Drive
• Provincial and Regional Games
and Championships
• Adopt An Athlete or Team Program
During the 2012-2013 fraternal year, through our
various Flag Relay activities, we have volunteered
thousands of hours and have helped raise over
$200,000 for Special Olympics. It has also provided
us with the opportunity to both promote and raise
the public’s awareness of our involvement with
the Special Olympics movement throughout the
province.
Each year, new activities have been added
to our program, with the latest being the
Knights of Columbus Special Olympics Day with
the Toronto Argonauts on Saturday October 25th
at the Rogers Centre. The Argos will be playing the
Hamilton Tiger Cats and a number of pre-game and
on-field activities have been planned for both the
Knights and the Special Olympians.
Special Olympics Ontario has
recently announced two Provincial
Games for 2015, the Winter Games
in North Bay from Jan 29th to
Feb 2nd and the Floor Hockey
Championships in Ottawa from
May 7th to May 10th.
The Flag Relay activities for the Provincial Games
are coordinated through the Diocesan Associations
and Zones in which these Games are being held,
along with the assistance of the District Deputies
from the area. Together they work closely with both
the Organizing Committee and Special Olympics
Ontario in deciding as to what the Knights will be
KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS ONLINE BULLETIN
38
APRIL 2014