{"id":1436,"date":"2017-06-05T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2017-06-05T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.storage-mart.com\/blog\/organization\/special-olympics-ontario-partnership-storagemart-store-it-forward\/"},"modified":"2023-05-22T14:44:40","modified_gmt":"2023-05-22T14:44:40","slug":"special-olympics-ontario-partnership-storagemart-store-it-forward","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.storage-mart.com\/blog\/special-olympics-ontario-partnership-storagemart-store-it-forward","title":{"rendered":"More than an Event: Special Olympics Ontario Builds Body and Mind"},"content":{"rendered":"

With so many groups out there doing great work giving back to the community<\/a>, a few really stand out in terms of passion and scale. One of these notable organizations is the Special Olympics.\u00a0 Although you may be most familiar with the splendor of the opening ceremonies at the annual games, you may not realize the very intimate impact Special Olympics is able to have on individuals and families through their local chapters like in Ontario.<\/p>\n

Making a Difference in Ontario<\/h2>\n

\"Volunteers<\/p>\n

Recently we made a connection with the Special Olympics in Ontario to start an exciting new partnership. With support from every level, we were able to make a donation to help support the 2017 Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics as well as several other events for athletes throughout the summer season. Quinn Martin (an athlete competing this season!) as well as a few representatives from Special Olympics stopped by StorageMart on Wicksteed Road<\/a>\u00a0to accept a check and get to know our local staff a little better. Although Special Olympics has a strong presenceKnowing they support over 120 communities across Ontario, it was easy to<\/p>\n

Although Special Olympics has an especially strong presence in Toronto, we soon learned that they make an impact on over 120 communities across Ontario. Through speaking with Lynn Miller and her team at Special Olympics Ontario, we have learned a lot about these local initiatives changing the lives of so many children and families and wanted to take a quick moment to highlight one in particular, Active Start.<\/p>\n

An Active Start for Children<\/h2>\n

For many parents, having a child diagnosed with Down Syndrome or another intellectual disability can be very worrisome. Concerns about finding accepting environments in which your child can succeed and grow in is common and something that innately drove the development of the Active Start program.<\/p>\n

In short, Active Start is a safe environment for children as young as 3 to come with their families to develop physical, cognitive and social skills that allow them to stay active as they grow up. Without regular group activities provided by the Active Start program, many of these children wouldn\u2019t have an opportunity to practice and pursue physical challenges. The best part? Many children go on from the Active Start program to be competing Special Olympics athletes! We could rave about this program all day, but check out the video below to hear from families in Oakville to see the amazing impact.<\/p>\n