Fall Sports Season Will Include In-Person Competitions
The fall sports season will include in-person competitions for most sports! Special Olympics Iowa will be holding a state equestrian competition, modified area bowling events, and modified regional flag football skills events. There will be no volleyball competition this year. Coaches and delegation managers will be receiving an email with event dates and detailed information for the bowling and flag football skills events. The state equestrian competition is September 11.
Team Special Olympics Iowa
Special Olympics Iowa is pleased to announce the team that will be representing Iowa at the 2022 Special Olympics USA Games next year in Orlando! In a little less than one year – June 5-12, 2022 – more than 5,500 athletes and coaches from all 50 states and the Caribbean will travel to Orlando to compete before more than 125,000 fans, spectators, and volunteers. Among those over 5,500 athletes and coaches will be Team Special Olympics Iowa.
Special Olympics Iowa Staff Grows by Two
We are excited to announce that Jason Miller and Seann DeMaris have joined the Special Olympics Iowa staff. Both Jason and Seann have been active members of the Special Olympics Iowa community for 10+ years and will be bringing a wealth of knowledge to their new positions at Special Olympics Iowa.
Jason Miller, Director of Sports and Programs, comes to Special Olympics Iowa from the Muscatine Y, where he was the Delegation Manager for their Special Olympics delegation. Jason will be working with the area and state sports competitions and overseeing Special Olympics Iowa programming. Jason is excited to make mission-driven, athlete-focused events and programs his focus. Jason will be the Head of Delegation for the Special Olympics Iowa team headed to the 2022 USA Games in Orlando.
Seann DeMaris, Director of States Games and Advance Competitions, comes to Special Olympics Iowa with a diverse background in sports management. He assisted with the National Games in Ames and was on the Summer Games Steering Committee for over 17 years. Seann will be managing all statewide competitions and coordinating athlete participation in national and world competitions. Seann looks forward to providing athletes, Unified partners, coaches, and fans with high-quality sports competition experiences.
Three Iowa Schools Receive Unified Champion Schools National Banner Recognition
Congratulation to the University of Iowa, Central DeWitt High School, and Ankeny Centennial High School for becoming Special Olympics National Banner Unified Champion Schools. To receive National Banner Recognition, a Special Olympics Unified Champion School must meet the 10 standards of excellence put forward by a national panel of leaders from Special Olympics and the education community.

Fundraising Central
Buy your Pigskin Madness Ticket(s)
This annual fundraiser combines the NFL and raising money for Special Olympics Iowa. For just $20, you have 108 chances to win cash during the 18 weeks of the regular NFL football season.
Did Someone Say Texas Roadhouse for Supper?
Enjoy dinner at Texas Roadhouse while supporting Special Olympics Iowa! Texas Roadhouse will donate 10% of your total food purchase to Special Olympics Iowa when you show your server the SOIA flyer.


Date: September 13 and 14
Time: 4:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.
Location: All Texas Roadhouse Locations in Iowa
Tailgate for Teammates Tickets on Sale
Tailgate for Teammates is a fun evening celebrating Special Olympics Iowa athletes, Unified partners, and their supporters — an event full of enthusiasm, team spirit, and pride. There will be great tailgate cuisine to feast on, auction items to bid on, and members of Team Special Olympics Iowa to meet. It's the only pregame party where you can count on meeting the athletes while knowing you're supporting an inspiring cause. Be sure to buy your tickets by September 25.
Date: October 2 (6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.)
Location: Sheraton West Des Moines Hotel (1800 50th Street, West Des Moines)
2021 Truck Convoy is Set for October 2
The Truck Convoy for Special Olympics is a one-day celebration of the trucking industry, allied partners, and law enforcement all working together to help raise money for Special Olympics Iowa. Special Olympics Iowa athletes and families, community organizations, companies, and law enforcement agencies are invited to welcome the truckers as they enter the fairgrounds for a lunch celebration.


Date: Saturday, October 2

The Fall Polar Plunge® Season Starts Next Month
Join us at one of our upcoming fall plunges for a unique opportunity to support Special Olympics athletes while jumping into frigid waters. You can take the plunge solo or with coworkers, friends, or family members.
The 2021 Fall Polar Plunge Season
Sioux City - October 30
Davenport - November 6
Fort Dodge - November 7
Dubuque - November 13
West Des Moines - December 4
Coaches Corner
We are excited to share that Class A Volunteer certification and re-certification can now be completed online in three steps.
  1. Complete the Class A Volunteer Application and background check
  2. Take the Protective Behavior Training and quiz
  3. submit a color photo, passport quality, to classa@soiowa.org
Event Calendar

Visit our online calendar for event details!

September
8 - Unified Golf Tour: Muscatine
11- 2021 State Equestrian Competition
11 - Unified Golf Tour: Cedar Rapids
13 & 14 – Texas Roadhouse: Tip-A-Cop
15 - Unified Golf Tour: Davenport
25 - Unified Golf Tour: Granger

All Month - Fall Unified 5K Training

October
1-17 - Fall Unified 5K Training
2 - Truck Convoy
2 – Tailgate for Teammates
30 - Sioux City Polar Plunge