Articles in Volunteers

Special Olympics Iowa inducted the 2025 class, 12 individuals, into the Special Olympics Iowa Hall of Fame on December 11^th.

The Hall of Fame class includes four Special Olympics Iowa athletes – Rob Beard (Marshalltown), Corey Leonhard (Muscatine), Laura Lea Smith (Eldridge), and Britt Sandahl (Urbandale); and eight volunteers – Brad and Julie Benge (Fort Madison), John ‘Spider’ Christiansen (Clinton), John and Jeanne MacDonald (Johnston), Ann Vandehaar (Spencer), Scott Bryant (Donnellson), and Chris McCormick (Montrose). The induction ceremony took place at West48 Conference Center in West Des Moines.

The mission of Special Olympics is to help persons with intellectual disabilities to participate as productive and respected members of the community. Hall of Fame inductees are individuals who have been involved with Special Olympics Iowa for more than 10 years, and continually strive to reach this goal by being leaders and innovators in the Special Olympics movement.

Rob Beard is 48 years old and has been participating in Special Olympics since elementary school. He has competed in track and field, bowling, cross country skiing, cheerleading, golf, swimming and cycling. Rob’s coaches describe him as the definition of an athlete, showing true sportsmanship, energy, positivity, and encouragement.

Corey Leonhard has been active in Special Olympics since 1982, and has served Special Olympics Iowa as an athlete, coach, board member, global messenger, and leader to many. He has represented the state of Iowa in seven national and international competitions, including World Games in Ireland and China.

Laura Lea Smith first got involved with Special Olympics nearly 50 years ago, and has tried almost every sport Special Olympics Iowa has to offer. Smith most recently started focusing her time on powerlifting, bocce, pickleball, and bowling, and became Scott County Special Olympics’ first female powerlifter in the Quad Cities.

Britt Sandahl has participated in Special Olympics for 40 years. She has competed in 11 of SOIA’s sports, and also serves as a global messenger, spreading awareness of inclusion and Special Olympics to everyone she meets. When she’s not competing, Britt lends her time to SOIA as a volunteer, fundraiser, and spokesperson.

Brad and Julie Benge have been volunteering for Special Olympics for over 45 years and collectively have over 70 years of involvement with SOIA. Brad was the founder of Special Olympics delegations in both Mt. Pleasant and Fort Madison. They have served as area directors, delegation managers, coaches, chaperones, volunteers, and general support for all Special Olympics Iowa athletes and their families.

John ‘Spider’ Christiansen started volunteering with Clinton County Special Athletes in the 1980’s, and was instrumental in growing the program from 65 athletes to more than 150 today. He started as a bowling volunteer and his involvement blossomed into various roles and numerous sports spanning decades. Now in his 90’s, Spider continues to support Special Olympics Iowa athletes.

John and Jeanne MacDonald have been involved with Special Olympics Iowa since the organization was only a couple years old, first volunteering at a SOIA event in 1971. They have served the organization as volunteers, event organizers, medical staff, fundraisers, parents, and John as a board member and past president of the SOIA board of directors. Due in part to their involvement, SOIA has grown from approximately 50 athletes in 1971 to more than 10,000 today.

Ann Vandehaar started the Spencer Community Tigers Special Olympics program in 1987 by connecting the adult program to the school’s team, and has served as a coach, volunteer, chaperone, fundraiser, and spectator ever since. In her free time, Ann also serves on the ADA council in Spencer, which strives to bring awareness and accessibility to individual with disabilities in the community.

Scott Bryant was a law enforcement officer at the Iowa State Penitentiary for 17 years. As such, he first became involved in Special Olympics Iowa with the Law Enforcement Torch Run; an annual run that takes place to raise awareness of and funds for SOIA athletes and programs. In 2004, while participating in the Torch Run, Bryant sacrificed his life to save another officer, was struck by a vehicle, and died.

Chris McCormick has been involved with Special Olympics through the Law Enforcement Torch Run for 24 years. After Bryant’s passing, McCormick carried on his memory and legacy by creating the Scott Bryant Memorial Poker Run; an annual event that has been held for more than two decades, and raises funds for Special Olympics Iowa. 2026 will be the 22^nd and final year of the Scott Bryant Memorial Poker Run.

Read more about the Special Olympics Iowa Hall of Fame here.

By Elin Phipps, SOIA Director of Volunteers 

It is that time a year again! The New Year is here and it is time to start making a list of 2018 New Year’s resolutions. Exercise more, lose weight, eat healthier, spend more time with family and friends, pick up a new hobby, travel more…these are all popular resolutions. Why not add “spend time volunteering” to your New Year’s resolutions list? Volunteering not only benefits the community and the organization, it has benefits for you too! Here are some ways volunteering has a positive impact on your life and the lives of those around you.

Did you know that volunteering can be beneficial to your health? According to the Corporation for National and Community Service, research indicates volunteering provides individual physical and social health benefits. It has been established that those who volunteer have lower mortality rates, greater functional ability, and lower rates of depression later in life than those who do not volunteer.

In relation to physical health, often times volunteer positions have some level of physical activity involved. Whether it is lifting boxes, helping a child or adult at a sporting event, or even just getting up off your feet and walking around, volunteer positions can help individuals stay active. It has been reported that those who volunteer frequently throughout the year have better overall physical health and are some of the healthiest people in the U.S.

Volunteering not only benefits your physical health, it has great benefits for your mental, emotional and social health. Spending time volunteering often helps individuals feel like they are a part of a group that makes a difference in the lives of others and helps people feel a real sense of achievement. Being part of a volunteer group also helps people develop a social group that is outside their friends, family or work and helps people get involved in their community. According to “Psychology Today,” volunteering and being part of a volunteer group that has social interactions benefits your brain health and function, lowers risk for depression and anxiety, helps develop emotional stability, and increases self-esteem. …

Come join Special Olympics Iowa at the 2017 Iowa State Fair!

On Friday, August 18, SOIA will be co-hosting the second annual Adaptive Sports on the Grand Concourse day with our friends from Adaptive Sports Iowa and Courage League Sports. The day will consist of games of power soccer, wheelchair basketball and bocce as well as equipment demonstrations and program overviews. It will be a day to show how sports can be adaptive for inclusion so everyone can participate. …

Special Olympics Iowa honored its Outstanding Athlete, Coach and Family of the Year award winners during the Summer Games Opening Ceremonies presented by Hy-Vee May 25 at Iowa State University’s Hilton Coliseum. The Scott Bryant Unsung Hero Award was also presented to recognize an individual dedicated to the Law Enforcement Torch Run program.  …

Over 300 athletes from across the state are set to compete in the 2017 Special Olympics Iowa Winter Games January 9-10 in Dubuque. More than 130 coaches and chaperones, as well as 150 volunteers, will donate their time to serve the athletes and make the event a success.

Children and adult athletes of all abilities will participate in sports like Alpine skiing, cross country skiing, snowshoeing, short track speed skating and figure skating. The Grand Harbor Center, Sundown Mountain, Albrecht Acres and Mystique Community Ice Center will host the competitions and activities.

“Our athletes are very excited to showcase their skills and abilities at the Winter Games,” said SOIA Director of Sports & Advanced Competitions, Rhonda Schwarzkopf. “Their dedication is amazing to watch. Winter Games would not be possible without the support and commitment of athletes’ families, coaches and our volunteers.” …

As the schools and facilities start gearing up for another fantastic year of Special Olympics Iowa sport competitions, I have one item to refresh/remind you on – the Class A Volunteer Application. My name is Sally Briggs and I process all the Class A applications. We have updated our website with the Class A Volunteer information.  From the home page hover over “Get Involved” and click on “Class A Volunteers” or use this link.

Here are some common tips to remember when filling out the Class A Volunteer application:

• Who should fill out the Class A application?
  • Anyone who has direct contact with athletes, in a position of authority, supervision or trust of athletes
  • Coach, Unified partner, chaperone, one on one, board member, LETR (Law Enforcement Torch Run) volunteers, Committee members, anyone that transports, stays over night with athletes, handles substantial amounts of cash or other assets for Special Olympics Iowa

…

Special Olympics Iowa is looking for a volunteer to help translate important documents into Spanish for future use. We have several forms, including our Physical and Consent form, that we would like to also have in Spanish on our website and available at the state office.

If you or someone you know would be interested in helping with this, contact Gary Harms at 515-986-5520 or gharms@soiowa.org.

Ambassadors from Special Olympics Iowa will be meeting with legislators in Washington, D.C. on Wed., Feb 10 for Capitol Hill Day. Athlete Corey Leonhard, CEO Gary Harms and Delegation Manager Jason Miller will be joined by Miss Teen of America Corrie Hayes to advocate for support of the life-changing work Special Olympics does in our state.

Since it was passed in 2004, the Special Olympics Sport and Empowerment Act has provided the financial means to help  improve the lives of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities through its support for global sports and related programming, as well as social and recreational programs. Specifically, this legislation authorizes the use of funds for specific programs which directly impact Special Olympics athletes in matters relating to health, education and global program initiatives. Each year, Special Olympics urges members of Congress to continue a national commitment to the Special Olympics Sport and Empowerment Act. …

By SOIA Intern Katie Baum

Special Olympics Iowa has given its athletes countless opportunities and memories since its beginning in 1968 thanks to our dedicated volunteers, staffs, families and friends. Brian Bates, Iowa City Special Olympics athlete, is not only a dedicated athlete, he also serves as a volunteer when he is not competing.

Nearly 30 years ago, Brian was a student at Washington High School in Washington, Iowa, when he first heard about Special Olympics. This excited him and led him to join the Special Olympics swim team through his school.

Two years after his high school graduation, he moved to Iowa City. About a year after his move, he learned that a Special Olympics program was starting in the area. He really missed the competition from high school so he decided to join. …

The volunteer spirit was shining bright during Special Olympics Iowa Winter Games in Dubuque, especially among a group of students from the University of Dubuque who were lending a helping hand at the Mystique Ice Arena. For five years, the Quest for the Cup class, taught by Jim Romagna, has helped to make sure the figure skating and speed skating events run smoothly. Students help with race coordination, helping athletes on and off the ice, cheering them on during their events, race timing, awards, set-up and tear down.

Romagna is the department head of the Health, Wellness and Sport Program at the university and has turned volunteering at Winter Games into an annual event in the course syllabus. The J-term class is held for three weeks during the university’s winter break, with the primary focus on learning the history of the Dubuque Fighting Saints USHL hockey team. Students get an inside look at hockey operations including marketing, fundraising, practices, off-ice workouts and more. …