The global day for 2019 Spread the World: Inclusion was Wednesday, March 6, 2019. However, our athletes, Unified Champion Schools, Young Professionals Committee, and Executive Advisory Board celebrated throughout the month.
Sayre High School created an art contest where students were asked to create a superhero with an anti-violent theme. Along with their drawing, students had to say what their superpowers were that made them an anti-violent superhero. Winners were chosen by the Unified Sports team. Hill Freedman World Academy took to the halls and collected online pledges where students agreed to include those who might need a friend or someone sitting on the sidelines. Middle Years Alternative (MYA) had students sign a banner than they hung to pledge their commitment to inclusion.
Stradley Ronon staff donned the Spread the Word: Inclusion shirt and had information on how to get involved with Special Olympics PA – Philadelphia displayed on their televisions throughout the building. One of the employees at Stradley even got their daughters school involved where teachers wore the shirts too! Montgomery McCracken’s Veterans and Individuals with Disabilities group, a subgroup of the firm’s Diversity Committee, was proud to spearhead the Spread the Word event at their office. The attorneys and staff participated in a “Jeans Day” to raise money for Special Olympics PA – Philadelphia! If they donated to the cause, they were able to wear jeans and their Spread the Word shirts! Brandywine Realty Trust employees also had a dress down day and displayed our message on the jumbo screen at Commerce Square.
Our three Philadelphia soccer teams made their season debut at the 2018 Fall Sports Classic. This event was hosted by Special Olympics PA – Area M on Sunday, September 16th in Hershey, PA. Over 800 Special Olympics athletes from across PA competed in Bocce, Long Distance Running/Walking, Powerlifting, Soccer, and Volleyball for the 15th Annual Fall Sports Classic. The event was based at four different locations in the Hershey area. Hershey High School hosted powerlifting and volleyball, Hershey Middle School hosted volleyball, Founders Field hosted LDR/W and soccer, and Hershey Italian Lodge hosted bocce.
It was the perfect day for our soccer teams to make their debut, clear and sunny with a nice breeze to ensure our athlete didn’t get too hot. Our three soccer teams, Philly United, Strykers, and Stars and Stripes gave a strong showing as they went head-to-head with their competitors. This is the first time Philadelphia has had a Unified Soccer Team participate in the Community Program. A unified team means individuals with and without intellectual disabilities train and compete together. Through training and competing together, friendships and a mutual respect are born between both athletes (individuals with intellectual disabilities) and partners (individuals without intellectual disabilities). Parents, coaches, and fans were excited to get outside and cheer on our teams as they made it one step closer to the end goal – state games, aka, Fall Festival.
Team |
Coach |
Athletes/Partners |
Place |
Philly United (7v7) |
Walt Beckman | Charles Zisette, Mitchel Stahl, Sam Fioravanti Jr, Danny Charlton, Carl Irvis, Jesse Rose, Jason Bixby, Ian Capacio, Michael Castillo, Justin Martinez, Hope Anderson | 2nd |
Strykers (Unified 7v7) |
Stacy Plumbo | Brian Oldankowski, Ryan Milanaik, Joseph Rynkiewicz, Matthew Grabowski, Ryan Bogan, Michael Luciani, Brian Stulz, Hailey Hurst, Angel Rodriguez, Jonathon Boback | 2nd |
Stars and Stripes (5v5) |
Charles Abdo | Allison Davidson, Danny Amrik, Jackie Lutts, Emmett Abdo, Lisa Barbour, Kristie Walls, Michael Weinberg, David Brent Williams | 2nd |
Through the Unified Sports Soccer Exchange Program, Unified soccer teams from MLS cities travel to other MLS markets to compete in exhibition matches with their Special Olympics counterparts. Unified matches are scheduled in conjunction with MLS club matches, providing fans an opportunity to witness first-hand, the talents and abilities of Special Olympics soccer players. This year, Special Olympics PA – Philadelphia represented Philadelphia Union as they took on New England Revolution in Boston. This year, Special Olympics PA – Philadelphia put together an All-Star team consisting of students from all around Philadelphia who became a Unified Philadelphia Union. After signing contracts with Philadelphia Union and practicing as a team, it was time to hit the road and head to Boston for the 2018 MLS Exchange Game.
Our Unified All-Star team left early on Friday, August 10th and arrived at the hotel after a traffic-filled seven-hour bus ride. After barely settling into our rooms, most of the team grabbed their swimsuits and headed to the hotel pool to unwind. After a quick dip, it was time for dinner, courtesy of New England Revolution at Moe’s Southwest Grill. Once everyone was fueled up again, the team headed to 5 Wits which offers exciting escape room-like adventures. Our group split into two and one had to save the world from an evil, underground crime syndicate. The other had to escape the grip of a giant squid. If that wasn’t enough fun for one night, the evening ended with bowling, again courtesy of New England Revolution. After bowling, it was finally time to hit the hay before the big day on Saturday.
Saturday morning, the Philadelphia Union first team were all eating breakfast as our Unified team waited in the lobby to meet with our competition from Massachusetts. As we waited, players from the Philadelphia Union first team generously signed autographs, high fived, and encouraged the whole Unified team. We spent the rest of the morning and afternoon playing laser tag, arcade games, and eating chicken fingers and pizza with the athletes and partners who made up the Unified New England Revolution from Special Olympics Massachusets. After a short, mid-afternoon break, we all met again outside of Gillette Stadium to watch pre-game warmups on the field and be part of the tunnel as both Philadelphia Union and New England Revolution came back onto the field for the game. On top of all that, each fan who entered the stadium was given a team card that listed both Unified teams by name and number right next to the professionals whom they would be playing after (see photo below).
During the first-team game, both unified teams were treated to dinner in a suite. As the MLS first-team game was ending, both teams headed to the locker rooms to get ready. As our team emerged from the locker rooms and took the field, we were greeted by a lot of fans who stayed after for the unified match including a traveling Sons of Ben, who even had specific cheers for some of our players. Unfortunately, our unified game was met with rain throughout the full 40 minutes. Luckily, Philadelphia Union has amazing fans and stayed with us the entire time.
The unified match saw us fall to Special Olympics Massachusetts 2-0. Despite the loss, our unified team played extremely well and was as close to a truly unified team that we have ever sent to an exchange game. Some of our athletes were on par or better than some of our partners and were sprinting right alongside them. As this was the first time we pulled together a team from various schools, we could only hope that the team would become that – a team. They came together as a team despite that they all check very different demographic boxes well beyond their athlete or partner label.
Congratulations to all of our wonderful athletes and partners who made up the Unified Philadelphia Union and a huge thank you and congratulations to our three coaches – Coach Bull Coach Tosto, and Coach Paul.
After a snow delay which pushed the third annual Elementary/Middle School IUS Bocce Championship back a week, the championship was held on Tuesday, January 16th at Jefferson University‘s Gallagher Recreation Center. This year, Special Olympics PA – Philadelphia welcomed the largest amount of school teams to date with three elementary schools and five middle schools bringing a total of 15 teams to compete. Elementary schools in attendance included Juniata Park Academy and Penrose School. Middle schools in attendance included Andrew Hamilton, Hill-Freedman World Academy, Middle Years Alternative School (MYA), Penrose School, and Universal Daroff Charter School.
Executive Director, Health, Safety, Nutrition and Physical Education, Bettyann Creighton, and Manager of Interscholastic Partnerships, Alex Christy, kicked off the day by welcoming all teams to the championship and wishing them the best of luck during the competitions. As the competition got underway, there was excitement in the air as each team brought their A-game to the championship. There was excitement in the air. After each student rolled, they were met with high-fives and if it was a particularly great roll, a loud cheer from their school.
Special Olympics PA – Philadelphia would like to extend a huge thank all the coaches who have helped their team train and be competition ready, the chaperones for assisting with the event and Jefferson University athletics for providing volunteers. Without all of their support, this event would not have been possible. Thank you! Special Olympics PA – Philadelphia is excited about next year’s Elementary/Middle School IUS Bocce Championship!
The Third Annual Elementary/Middle School IUS Bocce Championship ended with awards being given to all of the athletes and partners based on the order of finish. In the middle school division, Hill-FreedmanTeam 2 took first, Penrose Team 1 took second, and Middle Years Academy Team 1 took third. In the elementary school division, Juniata Park Team 1 took first, Penrose Team 1 took second, and Penrose Team 2 took third.
COURT |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
Elementary |
Middle 1 |
Middle 1 |
Middle 2 |
Middle 2 |
|
ROUND 1 |
JP1 (5) v PE1 (4) | PM1 (6) v AH1 (5) | HF1 (4) v MYA1 (5) | PM2 (6) v AH2 (2) | HF2 (9) v MYA2 (3) |
ROUND 2 |
PE2 (5) v JP2 (3) | MYA1 (1) v PM1 (7) | AH1 (2) v HF1 (2) | MYA2 (1) v PM2 (7) | AH2 (2) v HF2 (3) |
ROUND 3 |
PE1 (6) v PE2 (6) | HF1 (3) v PM1 (4) | AH1 (3) v MYA (6) | HF2 (7) v PM2 (2) | AH2 (5) v MYA2 (2) |
ROUND 4 |
JP2 (3) v JP1 (4) | MIDDLE FINAL | MIDDLE 3RD/4TH | MIDDLE 5TH/6TH | MIDDLE 7TH/8TH |
|
|
M1 winner v M2 winner | Runner-Up M1 v Runner-Up M2 | 3rd Place M1 v 3rd Place M2 | 4th Place M1 v 4th Place M2 | |
|
|
PR1 (4) vs HF2 (5) | MYA1 (4) v PR2 (2) | AH1 (2) vs AH2 (5) | HF1 (5) v MYA2 (4) | |
ROUND 5 |
PE2 (0) v JP1 (6) | PE1(5) v JP2 (3) |
|
Elementary Schools
|
Middle Schools
|
On Monday, August 21, the Philadelphia Charity Ball crashed soccer practice. Philadelphia Charity Ball Board Members, Debutantes, Young Men’s Committee Members and friends and families of the Philadelphia Charity Ball attended soccer practice. South Philadelphia has practice on Monday evenings at Marconi Plaza (Broad St. & Oregon Ave) in Philadelphia. The Philadelphia Charity Ball members joined, Special Olympics PA – Philadelphia Director, Britt Kleine, and the South Philadelphia Wildcats and their families to kick off the 2017 fall season.
The Wildcats are looking to compete at the Eastern Fall Sectional on Sunday, October 1st at East Stroudsburg University and Fall Fest, held Friday, November 10th and Sunday, November 12th at Villanova University. The Philadelphia Charity Ball crew didn’t just stand on the sidelines and cheer, they got involved on the field to truly experience Special Olympics!
Many Philadelphia Charity Ball folks enjoyed running drills and making friends in the spirit of the united sports movement. At the end of practice, everyone was tired, b knew they had a great workout and a great time.
To find out more about our soccer programs in Philadelphia, click here.
On Saturday, August 19th, we had a Shop and Share at Lilly Pulitzer in the King of Prussia Mall! Throughout the day, customers got to see Lilly Pulitzer’s new collection as well as get information about all of the amazing work we do in Philadelphia. Special Olympics PA – Philadelphia had a table with information and two photo books that display our Young Athletes program, Healthy Athletes, Leprechaun Run, Polar Plunge, our partnership with ESPN and MLS, and of course, all the sports we do!
Between 12:00 pm and 4:00 pm, athletes Katie Moore and Allie Ruitzer came to hang out, talk to customers, answer questions, and pose for photos! As customers made purchases, Allie and Katie took turns stopping customers on their way out to thank them for their support for sports, inclusion and Special Olympics!
Thank you, Lilly Pulitzer! We can’t wait to do it again!
photo credit: Benjamin Solomon
On Monday, July 31, 2017, athlete, Jeremiah Ellis, partner, Robert Esquilin, and coach Susie Reece from Universal Audenried Charter High School left for the fourth annual Unified Sports All-Star soccer match. This year, the festivities and game took place in Chicago, Illinois. Jeremiah and Robert represented Philadelphia Union during the week. Below is the roster of athletes and partners representing the Eastern Conference All-Stars:
| Athlete, Partner | Club Representing |
| Jeremiah Ellis, Robert Equilin | Philadelphai Union |
| Félix Berthiaume, Mathieu Hevey | Montreal Impact |
| Aaron Allen, Ashtin Burbank | New England Revolution |
| Brandon Lutz, Megan Young | Columbus Crew SC |
| Antonio Guzman, Lyndsay Price | Atlanta United |
| Mark Jerabek, Colin Iverson | Chicago Fire |
| DAniel Davila, Umar Muftau | New York City FC |
| Brian Curci, Jake Mulcahey | New York Red Bulls |
| Charles Barley, Rodrigo Canas-Pena | D.C. United |
| Sidge Taylor, Bailey Hubbard | Orlando City SC |
| Stephanie Panousis, Callum Denault | Toronto FC |
After some time on the field and meeting the team at Chicago Fire’s practice facility, the Unified All-Stars had dinner at Lou Malnati’s and had Chicago’s famous deep-dish pizza. The next day, the Unified All-Stars took to the streets to do some sightseeing in Chicago before their game.
Both teams came out strong with great movement up and down the field. Ultimately, it was Umar Muftau (East, representing New York City FC) who scored first and gave the Eastern Conference a halftime lead. After halftime, the Western Conference came back with back-to-back goals from Jesus Tepole and Luke McPhee, both representing Seattle Sounders. It looked grim for the east, but with two minutes to spare, Umar Muftau scored his second goal of the night. The Unified All-Star match ended in a 2-2 draw. Special Olympics had a live feed of the game on Facebook Live (video here).
On the last day, the Unified All-Stars gave back to the Chicago community during MLS Work’s Day of Service. Jeremiah and Robert kicked off their shoes and joined the group to help clean up a beach. After serving the community, the Unified All-Stars were able to relax and watch the MLS All Star vs. Real Madrid match. The last activity the Unified All-Stars participated in was a halftime ceremony during the match. After the game, it was time to get some rest and part ways the next day.
Thank you, Jeremiah, Robert, and Susie for representing Philadelphia Union and Special Olympics PA – Philadelphia so well!
2017 MLS All-Star Unified Soccer Experience
Philadelphia Union with two representatives in the 2017 Special Olympics Unified MLS All-Star Match
East draw West in Special Olympics Unified All-Star match
MLS WORKS, Major League Soccer’s community outreach initiative, is dedicated to addressing important social issues and serves as a platform for both League and club philanthropic programs. MLS WORKS seeks to establish Major League Soccer as a leader for improving the lives of people through sport. MLS WORKS has helped to improve the communities where we live and play our games by executing programs and campaigns that focus on cancer research and treatment, anti-discrimination, community service, health and wellness, environmental sustainability and accessibility to soccer. Follow us on Twitter & Instagram @MLSWORKS.
ESPN is proud of its relationship with the Special Olympics, which spans more than 30 years. It is the global media partner for the 2017 Special Olympics World Games, the 2018 Special Olympics USA Games and the 2019 Special Olympics World Games, and previously provided multi-platform coverage of Special Olympics World Games Los Angeles (LA2015) as well as coverage of the 2011 World Games in Athens on ESPN3. Since 2013, ESPN has been the Global Presenting Sponsor and Official Media Sponsor of Special Olympics Unified Sports, which bring athletes with and without intellectual disabilities together as teammates.
The 2017 All-Star Exchange Game features two Audenried Students, Jeremiah Ellis and Robert Esquilin. This is the 4th Annual All-Star Exchange game held through a partnership between MLS, ESPN and Special Olympics, the Unified All-Star Exchange match is scheduled in conjunction with the MLS All-Star Game, providing MLS fans with an opportunity to witness first-hand the talents and abilities of Special Olympics athletes and unified partners. Ellis and Esquilin will represent the Philadelphia Union as part of the All-Star East Team and join other Special Olympics athletes and partners representing a New England Revolution, Columbus Crew SC, New York City FC, Chicago Fire, NY Red Bulls, DC United, Toronto FC, and Orlando City SC.The 2017 All-Star Exchange Game will take place in Chicago, Illinois for a week filled with soccer, sportsmanship and some volunteering in the community. Ellis and Esquilin will be accompanied by their teacher and coach, Susie Reece. Our small crew leaves on Monday, July 31st and returns on Thursday, August 3rd – hopefully with a gold medal!
Keep an eye on Twitter as the game happens on Wednesday, August 2nd. Follow us (@SOPAPhilly), MLS Works (@MLSWORKS), and ESPN (@ESPNCitizenship) as we all provide coverage during the game!
In the News: Special Olympics All-Star Soccer Match presented by MLS Works & ESPN
MLS WORKS, Major League Soccer’s community outreach initiative, is dedicated to addressing important social issues and serves as a platform for both League and club philanthropic programs. MLS WORKS seeks to establish Major League Soccer as a leader for improving the lives of people through sport. MLS WORKS has helped to improve the communities where we live and play our games by executing programs and campaigns that focus on cancer research and treatment, anti-discrimination, community service, health and wellness, environmental sustainability and accessibility to soccer. Follow us on Twitter & Instagram @MLSWORKS.
ESPN is proud of its relationship with the Special Olympics, which spans more than 30 years. It is the global media partner for the 2017 Special Olympics World Games, the 2018 Special Olympics USA Games and the 2019 Special Olympics World Games, and previously provided multi-platform coverage of Special Olympics World Games Los Angeles (LA2015) as well as coverage of the 2011 World Games in Athens on ESPN3. Since 2013, ESPN has been the Global Presenting Sponsor and Official Media Sponsor of Special Olympics Unified Sports, which bring athletes with and without intellectual disabilities together as teammates.
On Thursday, June 29th, Abraham Lincoln High School‘s Unified Soccer team was invited to a Media Day with the Philadelphia Union in preparation for their Unified Exchange game on Saturday, August 5th against FC Dallas. In an ever-growing partnership with ESPN and MLS Works, Special Olympics participates in a Unified Exchange program which provides opportunities for Unified soccer teams to participate in a 1st Team MLS experience. Unified soccer teams, comprised of players with and without intellectual disabilities, travel from their home city to other MLS markets to compete in exhibition matches with their Special Olympic counterparts. In Philadelphia, our Unified Team becomes the Unified Philadelphia Union! Unified matches are scheduled in conjunction with MLS club matches, providing MLS fans with an opportunity to witness first-hand the talents and abilities of Special Olympics athletes and unified partners.
The day did not end there! After getting official letters and jerseys, it was time to pose for official Philadelphia Union headshots and moving headshots in their new uniforms to be broadcast on the big screen on August 5th against FC Dallas’ United team. As if they could not be any more excited, the Lincoln team got to watch the first team practice – they were so inspired by their practice, they started practicing alongside them! As the sun started to bring the heat, our student-athletes got a chance to cool off with a tour of the players’ home away from home and toured the building that houses Philadelphia Union’s training, nutrition, and relaxation facilities used by the professional soccer players.
On the ride home, many athletes shared Lincoln striker, Brandon’s sentiment about how honored he was to be contracted by the Philadelphia Union and how excited he was to play in the Unified Exhibition in August. Kelvin, another Lincoln athlete, even remarked how today was the best day of his life!
Join us on August 5th as we watch Philadelphia Union take on FC Dallas and then stay afterward to watch the Unified Exchange Game! The Philadelphia Union/FC Dallas game starts at 7:00 pm and the Unified Exchange Game is right after (on the field!). If you purchase a ticket through this link, you will be sitting among the Unified Star Players! Tickets are $35.00 each and can be purchased here.
The 2017 TD Campaign is coming! Beginning Monday, May 15, 2017, TD Bank launches their ninth Special Olympics Campaign! Again, they have set their sites on raising $1,000,000 across their footprint for Special Olympics programs across the East Coast. Since TD Bank loves seeing our athletes, they will help all Special Olympics Programs across the East Coast to Celebrate their Champions.
Throughout the campaign, Special Olympics PA, Philadelphia will be visiting the 23 stores that reside in Philadelphia County. Most of these visits will occur on Saturday, June 10th between 10:00 am and 12:00 pm – one week after our athletes get back from Summer Games at Penn State University! Make sure you stop by to join in the celebration!
Because of the huge success of the trading cards introduced during last year’s campaign, TD Bank has issued a new set of Trading Cards. This year, the four athletes representing Pennsylvania in these packs are from Philadelphia! Make sure you stop by your local TD Bank to make a $5 donation to receive a pack of trading cards – try to collect all 50!
Join the TD Bank and Special Olympics conversation by using #CelebratingChampions when talking about the campaign. Throughout the month and a half campaign – we will see many of our Champions Celebrated! Stay tuned for a recap and photos from all of our branch visits!
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