Special Olympics Arkansas

Special Olympics Arkansas is an organization that unleashes the human spirit through the transformative power and joy of sport every day around the state.

Through programming in sports, health, education, and community building, Special Olympics Arkansas is changing the lives of people with intellectual disabilities, solving the global injustice, isolation, intolerance and inactivity they face. Special Olympics Arkansas is providing opportunities for more than 15,000 athletes and 5,000 volunteers in all counties across the State of Arkansas.

Special Olympics Arkansas provides year-round sports training and athletic competition in a variety of Olympic type sports for all children and adults with intellectual disabilities.

Fundraisers and Events

Special Olympics Arkansas hosts 240 competitions and numerous health education events and screenings year-round. Our largest event of the year is Summer Games, hosted every May in Searcy at Harding University.

Through our Law Enforcement Torch Run (LETR) for Special Olympics Arkansas movement we host over 100 fundraisers each year across the state. Events hosted by LETR consist of Tip-A-Cop, Polar Plunge, Boots and Badges, Duck Pluck and Charity Olive Hour.

Giving Opportunities

There are many ways to support our sports competitions, health initiatives, and Unified Schools programming.

Special Olympics Arkansas is a grassroots program that survives by our volunteers, whether it is giving their time on the day of a competition, coaching athletes year-round, participating in fundraisers, or a healthcare professional offering a hand during a Healthy Athletes screening or health education event. It is through advancing sports excellence for all, building communities, transformative education, and athlete health that we are challenging mindsets and smashing stereotypes; thus changing the way communities interact with people with intellectual disabilities.

Funding Sources