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.

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

9 regions across New York
42,000 athletes and unified partners in athletic training and competition
21,000 volunteers statewide
6,000 certified coaches across all regions
22 Olympic-style sports
3 seasons of competition
800 competitive experience per year (that’s an average of 16 games each day statewide)
Athletes advance from local to regional, state, national and international competitions

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.

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