The Chicago Polar Plunge presented by Jackson is coming soon!

Be a star and take the plunge at North Avenue Beach on March 5, 2023! Don't miss this iconic winter event with 4,000 participants, friends, families, and celebrities. Join us for great fun for a great cause!

Don't forget we have amazing fundraising incentives this year! Check out this flier to view the items!

If you can't make it to the beach for the Plunge, you can still help us make a difference in Chicago!

Make a donation to help Special Olympics Chicago/Special Children's Charities support thousands of Chicago's athletes with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

We need volunteers for this year's event. Volunteering is a great way to support our athletes while staying dry! You'll even get a souvenir volunteer shirt!

Looking for a spot in the 2023 Chicago Marathon?

Run with #TeamSpecialOChicago.

As part of our marathon team, you’ll receive a guaranteed spot in the race, a refunded entry fee after raising the fundraising minimum, fundraising tips and toolkits, a discounted training program, and the best race day headquarters and cheering section at mile 25.5! Best of all, as part of #TeamSpecialOChicago, you'll be supporting Special Olympics Chicago/Special Children's Charities athletes all across Chicago!

Congratulations to the Associate Board on an amazing event!

We had a great time at our Associate Board's fundraiser on March 2! A crowd gathered at Pilot Project for bingo, raffles, a silent auction, and great music! A group of athletes from the Athlete Leadership Council volunteered to help out.

The event raised $4,300 toward the Associate Board's Chicago Polar Plunge goal.

Thank you to everyone who attended and supported the event!

Check out what our athletes have been up to!

We have lots of activities and competitions going on this month!

Cheering Squad

We launched a fun new activity at the Mt. Carmel High School Boy’s Varsity Basketball Game on February 7. The Independence Park Special Olympics Cheering Squad joined the Mt. Carmel Cheerleading Team during the game. They cheered the team on to a win!

Winter Games

207 athletes and coaches travelled to Galena to compete in snowshoeing at Winter Games. Athletes competed in the 50m, 100m, 200m, 400m, 800m, and relays. Along with the competition, athletes participated in a parade through downtown Galena and a dance. Congrats to all of the coaches and athletes that represented Chicago in the Winter Games!

Fernando Jones Blues Camp

This fun music program travels to different parks each week, giving athletes an opportunity to learn musical skills, be creative, try different instruments, and have lots of fun!

Intramural Soccer

Last week our intramural soccer season wrapped up with an incredible culminating event! Athletes competed from February 7–9 at both Pullman Center and Chicago Indoor Sports for some great competition and lots of fun!

CAN TV

Did you know that our athletes have their own show on CAN TV? Their crew joined us at our Evening Reception to interview guests. Their show airs on the first and third Saturday of each month at 9:30 AM. You can also view episodes anytime on Youtube.

Family Opportunities from the Chicago Park District

We are excited to provide another round of activities and events! This season's programs include favorites like ice skating, archery, indoor rowing, bowling, open swim, and open gym time. This winter's City Explorers will include a day of indoor rock climbing along with fun trips to the Shedd Aquarium and the Chicago History Museum!

Our featured athlete artwork this week is by Marcus Jordan of Morgan Park High School. Marcus's drawing is called "We Sweat Chlorine" and shows an exciting swimming pool scene. Indoor swimming is a great activity when the weather is cold.