Special Olympics
For 36 years the Kiwanis Club of Seminole Breakfast has fired up its grills to prepare and serve free lunches for all Special Olympians, coaches and volunteers who participate in the annual Pinellas County Regional Basketball competition held in December.
In 2012 the club added a second Special Olympic event by preparing and serving lunches to all participants in the Pinellas County Summer Games held annually each February at Osceola Middle School.
Since 2015 a team of volunteers from All Childrens Hospital’s “Fit 4 All Kids” program has joined us in our lunch preparations. They prepare a delicious nutritious treat which is included in the hundreds of lunches served at both events.
Unfortunately, the December 2020 & 2021 and February 2021 & 2022 Special Olympic events were cancelled due to COVID-19 concerns. But the games have returned! Our club will prepare and serve hundreds of free lunches in July at the Special Olympic Pinellas/Hillsborough swimming competition held at The Long Center in Clearwater.
Of special note, in June of 2013 the Kiwanis Breakfast club was honored in receiving Pinellas County Special Olympics’ first ever “Emily Brazeal Spirit Award”. The award is named after former Pinellas County Special Olympics founder and President. Our club was recognized at that time for our 29 years of Special Olympics partnership in serving free lunches at their annual Pinellas competitions.
Special Olympics provides year-round sports training and competition in 16 different sports to children and adults 8 years of age and older with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Athletes are also invited to participate in Athlete Leadership and Healthy Athletes programs.
In Florida there are approximately 58,000 athletes who currently participate in 236 Special Olympic competitions. Over 36,000 people give their time to coach or volunteer each year. Special Olympics Florida, an accredited program of Special Olympics Inc., was founded in 1972 and is one of the largest volunteer-driven athletic organizations in the state. This year marks the 55th anniversary of the worldwide Special Olympics movement.
