February 2022
Less than three weeks until the Chicago Polar Plunge presented by Jackson!
Head back to the beach for the 2022 Chicago Polar Plunge presented by Jackson! Join us Sunday, March 6 at North Avenue Beach or virtually to have fun and make a difference in the city. This amazing winter event benefits Special Olympics Chicago/Special Children's Charities and helps us provide resources for thousands of athletes with intellectual and developmental disabilities right here in Chicago! Visit chicagopolarplunge.org to register or make a donation!
Want to create your own virtual plunge? Check out our virtual plunge page to get started!
Check out our collaboration with 21 Pineapples!
Special Olympics Chicago/Special Children's Charities is proud to partner with Nate Simon, CEO of 21Pineapples.com - changing the way others perceive people with Down Syndrome and other special abilities, one shirt at a time!

Check out this exclusive shirt design featuring Nate the Great and Shiver the Bear, created especially for this year's Chicago Polar Plunge! Click here to order yours today.
Learn about the After 22 program!
Special Olympics Chicago/Special Children’s Charities, in partnership with Anixter Center and City Colleges of Chicago, announces an all-new, first of its kind program called After 22, that will provide young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities the opportunity to continue to receive educational services after they age out of the Chicago Public Schools system.
Athletes in action!
We are excited to be sponsoring new intramural leagues and skill clinics for our athletes! In January, the Chicago Park District began these new ways for athletes to be active, get involved, and have fun! The weekly clinics offer instruction for skill-building, scrimmages for teams, and coach development for both skills and teams. Transportation is provided by Special Olympics Chicago/Special Children’s Charities.
In January, a group of athletes and coaches took a memorable ski trip to Seattle! The SOC ski team was invited out to the SkiHawks Ski Invitational where they trained and competed alongside members of this Seattle team for three days. We sent 30 athletes and 15 coaches to the event, where they improved their skiing skills and had a lot of fun exploring Seattle!
Teams from various Chicago Park District programs and Northside Learning Center from CPS recently traveled to Galena, IL for State Winter Games. Chicago was represented by 200 athletes and coaches who competed in Snowshoe events or Alpine Ski Race events. Athletes did amazing and brought home lots of medals. The snowstorm missed Galena, but athletes and coaches had some frigid temps to contend with and braved the cold with determination to do their best. Congrats to all!
Get inspired and join Team Special Olympics Chicago!
The 2022 Bank of America Chicago Marathon may be sold out, but we have a spot for you! Run with Team Special Olympics Chicago and receive guaranteed free entry, race day swag, and the opportunity to support thousands of Special Olympics Chicago/Special Children's Charities athletes in Chicago. Check out this video of #TeamSpecialOChicago at the 2021 race and sign up before the May 31 deadline!
Get ready to rock with the SOC/SCC Associate Board!
Our Associate Board is hosting an awesome concert with The Mild West featuring Marina City on Thursday, March 3 at Joe's on Weed St. Both bands will play a mix of original music and popular covers, and all proceeds will support our athletes!
Get Early Bird tickets for $25 before prices go up on Monday, February 21.
Are you a Special Olympics Chicago/Special Children's Charities athlete who wants to join our classes and activities?
Sign up, and we'll send you an invitation for our next event!
Winter Family Opportunities from the Chicago Park District
The Chicago Park District's Family Opportunities are back! Indoor Rowing, Virtual Fitness, Archery, Open Gym, Open Swim, and Bowling are all on the schedule for this winter. We are excited to be sponsoring these fun programs again this season! Click here to see the full schedule and sign up today!
Athlete Artwork Feature
Our calendar artwork for February is called Having Fun in All Conditions by Francisco "Joey" Vega from Piotrowski Park. This colorful piece shows how much fun athletes have while participating in sports year-round! When it's cold and snowy, it's fun to look forward to warm weather sports like softball and tennis!
Special Olympics Chicago/Special Children's Charities
2 E 8th Street, Suite 2M
Chicago, IL 60605

312-527-3743 scc@sochicago.org