The Blankenburg Family Embodies the Special Olympics Spirit
By Melanie Barrios If you're from San Luis Obispo County or have been involved with Special Olympics, chances are you have heard about the Blankenburg ...
LA Galaxy to Host Virtual Soccer Clinic; SOSC Athletes Invited to Attend
The Los Angeles Galaxy are conducting a virtual soccer clinic this Saturday, October 17 for the non-profit Academia de Futbol Juvenil Amatense (AFJA). Special Olympics Southern California high school athletes and Unified Partners are invited to participate. AFJA serves youth athletes in low income communities, mostly in Central America. They have even partnered with some ...
Reach Every Athlete
As announced in August, Special Olympics Southern California (SOSC) has made the decision to cancel all in-person activity through March 2021 and shift our focus and approach to virtual programming and long-term planning. THE PLAN Survey: Learn about each individual athlete’s interests and ability to participate, barriers to participating, and preferred means of receiving SOSC ...
Kinecta Federal Credit Union Supports We Run the City
By Andrew Higa Kinecta Federal Credit Union has been a longtime supporter of Special Olympics Southern California. From Plane Pull teams, a game booth at Pier Del Sol, to Fans in the Stands buses during the 2015 World Games, they have shown constant support for SOSC. Now, the company is back to support SOSC’s annual ...
Joseph Gorin is Team USC for the Virtual We Run the City
Even in the midst of an ongoing pandemic, Special Olympics Southern California athlete Joseph Gorin is prepared to Fight On. Joseph is representing the USC side in the annual We Run the City 5K/10K run/walk fundraiser, which takes the UCLA/USC rivalry and pits the crosstown rivals’ supporters in a competition to see which side can ...
SOSC Will Hold Fundraisers to Support Athletes Impacted by COVID-19 Health Crisis
Whether bidding for wine packages, running a 5K, or playing bingo piques your interest, Special Olympics Southern California has fun, social, and virtual opportunities for everyone to support the immediate and long-term needs of SOSC athletes during the COVID-19 health crisis. During October and November, join Special Olympics in the following virtual events and fundraisers: ...
Marco Martinez is Team UCLA for the Virtual We Run The City
Run into Marco Martinez often enough and more than likely he’ll be decked out in a UCLA sweater, a hat or some other branded attire. He has an evident passion for its teams when the conversation steers that way, often by his own enthusiasm and sometimes with an accompanying 8 clap. Marco, a Special Olympics ...
Special Olympics Southern California Announces New President & CEO
LONG BEACH, Calif., Sept. 21, 2020 -- The Board of Directors of Special Olympics Southern California announces the appointment of Calvin Lyons as the new President & CEO of Special Olympics Southern California (SOSC) effective September 28, 2020. Lyons joins SOSC from the Boys & Girls Clubs, where he served as the President and CEO ...
Celebrating Rafer Johnson: An Immeasurable Impact
By Tracy McDannald Rafer Johnson isn’t one to beat his chest and flash his Olympic gold medal. It would be years before his own children learned of his mainstream success. Yet, the Special Olympics Southern California founder has many friends and admirers, in addition to family, who will go to bat for him and attempt ...
Celebrating Rafer Johnson: UCLA’s ‘Most Prestigious’ Living Legend
By Tracy McDannald Rafer Johnson’s gold medal in the decathlon at the 1960 Rome Olympics put him in a different stratosphere at home in the U.S. and abroad. He drew interest from the Los Angeles Rams, who drafted him in the 28th round in 1959, despite not playing a single down of college football. Hollywood ...
Celebrating Rafer Johnson: An Olympic Decathlon for the Ages
WeAreSOSC.org previously highlighted Rafer Johnson’s journey to get to the 1960 Rome Olympics and his place in history as the U.S. flagbearer during the Opening Ceremonies. Now, we take you through his gold-medal performance in the decathlon and the bond he shared with fellow competitor C.K. Yang. By Tracy McDannald Rafer Johnson would be the ...