Nike said that on September 24, 2016, it welcomed over 500 athletes for the 10th anniversary of the Special Olympics Oregon Youth Games, a one-day event that since its inception in 2007 has served more than 4,500 kids from across the state.
This year, athletes Scout Bassett, Sarah Reinertsen, Jordan Hasay, David Boudia, Karlee Miller and Galen Rupp, along with legendary coach Alberto Salazar, joined 400 Nike employee volunteers to inspire participants and help introduce young athletes with intellectual disabilities to the basics of a popular sport.
Nike honored the anniversary with a $200,000 donation to Special Olympics Oregon to develop Unified Champion Schools and equip students with the tools and training to create sport, classroom and school cultures of acceptance and inclusion.
Special Olympics Oregon serves children, youth and adults with intellectual disabilities — the largest disability population in the state — through year-round programs that provide participants the opportunity to develop physical fitness though sports training and competition in a variety of Olympic-type sports, receive regular health education and screenings, enjoy ongoing mentoring from trained volunteers, access family networking and advocacy resources and increase their overall quality of life in school, at home and in their communities.
