News & Media

 

Whelen Pilots Honored for Flights for Athletes
Pilots from Whelen Engineering were presented with pins in recognition and appreciation for the flights they provided to members of Team Connecticut to the 2026 Special Olympics USA Games in Minnesota this past June.

Global Messengers Sam Wollshleager, John Woods and Wendi LIttle along with Special Olympics Swim Coach Heather Minervini and SOCT President and VP Marc Mercadante visited Whelen headquarters in Chester for the presentation on October 15th. Whelen Engineering is also a sponsor of the Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics Connecticut.

 

 

Golfers Hit the Greens for SOCT

     

Four highly anticipated and overwhelmingly successful golf tournaments were held in September and the beginning of October to benefit Special Olympics Connecticut. A dedicated volunteer committee organized the 25th annual SOCT Golf Tournament presented by Eversource and Foxwoods Resort Casino and sponsored by BlueRoc at the Lake of Isles Golf Course on Monday, September 14th following the annual Susan Saint James Poker Tournament hosted by Foxwoods Resort Casino. The sold-out weekend of events drew poker players and golfers from throughout Connecticut and beyond including and featured SOCT athletes playing at various holes throughout the day.

Enterprise Holdings also held their annual charity golf tournament for SOCT at the Lake of Isles course on September 16th and the annual golf tournament presented by The LAZ Charitbable Foundation which also benefits SOCT took place  at the Tunxis Country Club on October 8th.

Officers from departments across the state who support our athletes all year round picked up their golf clubs for the day to play in the annual LETR Golf Tournament, also held at the Tunxis Country Club, on October 6th. All proceeds from these fun-filled, mission-driven tournaments will go to fund life-changing opportunities for our athletes.

Henkel Fun Run and Walk Unites Employees, Athletes

Henkel held its 2nd annual Fun Run and Walk on October 1st to give employees the opportunity to team up with our athletes for an afternoon of fun activities and friendship - and to keep our partnership moving forward! Henkel is a longtime sponsor of our Games and in addition to going with the distance with our athletes during the Run/Walk event, employees are dedicated, hardworking volunteers at our State Games and additional events throughout the year.

Branford Police, Lenny's Host Largest Tip-A-Cop Fundraiser in the State

    

Branford police officers and the staff of Lenny's Indian Head Inn worked together to raise the bar and raise over $120,000 during their annual Tip-A-Cop fundraiser for Special Olympics Connecticut on September 28th. The awesome, record-breaking success of the event was made possible through tremendous community support and the tireless efforts of the police organizers. The annual Tip-A-Cop at Lenny's is the longest running Tip-A-Cop event in the state and the one that has secured the Branford police as the top law enforcement fundraising department for SOCT for multiple years! 

Strikes, Spares and Saying Thanks at Callahan's 

Athletes visited Callahan Bowl-O-Rama of Newington to thank employees for providing welcoming our bowlers for their practices and becoming a sponsor of our upcoming Unified Sports® Holiday Classic. In addition to gratefully accepting a check from the Bowl-O-Rama, the athletes enjoyed bowling a few games together, making it a fun and meaningful afternoon for all.

Shiny Cars to Support SOCT at Soapy Noble 

Eight Soapy Noble Car Wash locations held a fundraiser for Special Olympics Connecticut on October 3rd. The event gave SOCT athletes and coaches the opportunity to team up with Soapy Noble employees to for a first-time fundraiser. Soapy Noble generously donated 100% of their wax service proceeds to SOCT, and our athletes and coaches towel-dried cars and collected tips from generous customers.

SOCT Celebrates Success of Birdies for Charity 

Special Olympics Connecticut was a beneficiary of the Travelers Championship Birdies for Charity program again this year and to celebrate and express our appreciation, athlete Chuck Yenkner and SOCT's Christy Miller attended a Birdies for Charity Celebration at TPC River Highlands on September 24th. One of the highlights was Chuck getting to meet and thank Tournament Director Nathan Grube, ESPN's Michael Eaves and the Travelers' Andy Bessette.

Spreading the Word About Unified Sports®

Athlete Nick Cella and staff member Troy Sundwall represented Special Olympics Connecticut at the 23rd Annual Bureau of Special Education Back to School Meeting at the Connecticut Convention Center in Hartford on September 17th. During the event, which drew more than 500 educators, family members, and caregivers, they spoke to attendees about opportunities to join Special Olympics Unified Sports® teams in schools and communities. The event was presented by the Connecticut State Department of Educations and SERC - State Education Resource Center of Connecticut.

New Staff Join Special Olympics Team

Molly Freitas is Special Olympics Connecticut’s new Senior Coordinator, Health and Wellness. Molly has a background in health and physical education and coordinating recreational youth programs. She has also worked with advocacy groups for parents of children with intellectual disabilities to create plain language public health resources. Molly is thrilled to join the SOCT team and excited about supporting its fitness programs. In her role, she’ll oversee all adaptive fitness programs including Unified Fitness Clubs, Fit 5, fitness coaches training, and collaborating with training fitness professionals and students

 

Giuliana Guerrera has joined Special Olympics Connecticut as Coordinator, Sports and Local Programs.  Giuliana earned her bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education online through the University of Arizona Global Campus and worked as a preschool teacher at the ESPN Kids Center. Additionally, she spent 10 years at Watertown Parks and Recreation, where she held a variety of roles and most recently served as its Special Events Coordinator. Through these experiences, she discovered how much she loves giving back to her community. Giuliana is excited to begin her journey with Special Olympics Connecticut and grateful for the opportunity to contribute to its mission.

Ron Plasky is the new Assistant Director of Special Olympics-CIAC Unified Sports in schools. Ron is the former Athletic Administrator at Pomperaug High School and a dedicated Unified Sports supporter. His roles have included certified Athletic Trainer, Physical Education teacher, and coach. Ron brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to his new position.

Ryan Miner also has joined the Special Olympics Connecticut team as Coordinator, Sports and Local Programs. He received his master’s degree in sports leadership from Endicott College and for his senior thesis project, he completed a documentary about his brother Jack – a Special Olympics athlete - entitled “Proud Podium”. Ryan has volunteered with Special Olympics for more than 15 years and is passionate about sharing the Special Olympics mission and helping to expand and enhance opportunities for athletes like his brother to play sports.