Media Kit
Special Olympics New York is happy to arrange interviews with staff, athletes, volunteers and families upon request. We are also able to provide detailed descriptions of programs that you may find introduced on this website.
Below, you’ll find basic statistics and facts for use in your work.
Special Olympics New York is happy to arrange interviews with staff, athletes, volunteers and families upon request. We are also able to provide detailed descriptions of programs that you may find introduced on this website.
Below, you’ll find basic statistics and facts for use in your work.
Our Objective
Through sports training and competition, Special Olympics New York offers continuing opportunities for athletes with intellectual disabilities and their unified partners to develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage, experience the joy of achievement and make new friends.
At a Glance
- We serve more than 48,000 athletes
- We are supported by more than 14,000 volunteers, 7,000 (half) are coaches.
- There are nearly 2,000 training clubs
- We partner with more than 340 Unified Champion Schools, where more than 8,000 students with and without disabilities have created inclusive school environments.
Resources
History in New York
Dorothy Buehring Phillips established Special Olympics New York in 1969. That year, we sent a delegation of athletes and coaches to the Northeast Regional Special Olympics competition in Boston, Mass. In 1970, the organization was fully incorporated, Phillips was named the first state director and the first State Summer Games took place in Rochester. Today, New York is among the largest Special Olympics programs in North America. We are headquartered in the Capital Region and operate offices throughout the state.
Organization Structure
Special Olympics New York is a privately funded 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that raises its operating budget through tax-deductible contributions from individuals, corporations and foundations. Athletes and their families do not pay to participate.