Special Olympics Colorado

Patti Hazlett
Email: pah@specialolympicsco.org
410 Seventeenth Street
Suite 200
Denver CO 80202
Office: 303-592-1361
Fax: 303-592-1364

Special Olympics Colorado

Sports Training and Competition

The mission of Special Olympics Colorado (SOCO) is to provide year-round sports training and athletic competition in a variety of Olympic-type sports for children and adults with developmental disabilities, eight years of age or older, giving them continuing opportunities to develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage, experience joy, and participate in a sharing of gifts, skills and friendships with their families, other Special Olympics athletes and the community.

History of Special Olympics

Mrs. Eunice Kennedy Shriver started a day camp program for children with developmental disabilities in the summer of 1963. Five years later, under the sponsorship of The Joseph Kennedy, Jr. Foundation, Mrs. Shriver organized the first International Summer Special Olympics Games at Soldier Field in Chicago. One thousand athletes from the United States, Canada and France competed.
Today, more than 500,000 individuals participate in United States Special Olympics programs from 20,000 communities, representing 97 percent of the counties in the United States. More than one million athletes are served worldwide in over 150 countries. Special Olympics is officially recognized by the United States Olympic Committee and the International Olympic Committee.

Special Olympics Oath

''Let me win, but if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt.''