Special Olympics South Dakota Newsletter

September 16 2025

Our volunteer list is very bare, so any help you can provide will be greatly appreciated. Please spread the word!

Click Here to Volunteer for Bocce

Click Here to Volunteer for Softball

Click for Bocce Program

Click for Softball Program

Correna Templar has participated in Special Olympics since 2005 and has been on the Athlete Leadership Council (ALC) since 2021. She is currently participating with the Rapid City Patriots.

A highlight for athletes and coaches who attend USA and World Game is to trade state pins. Since the 1970’s, a new pin has been designed every 4 years. This round, PinProsPlus has donated all of our pins! We truly cannot thank them enough for their generousity.

This is what they had to say: “We are thrilled to have helped this design concept come to life. Working with Haley was a smooth process and seeing the digital concept come to life in the final product is always rewarding. Making pins for events like this is what we enjoy most! We know it will be a popular pin that everyone will be wanting to trade for. It has been our honor to work with Team South Dakota and we look forward to many more opportunities within the Special Olympics pin trading communities. Good luck in the upcoming events and we look forward to hearing about all the success and memories made.”

This past April, the task of choosing our design was given to our ALC. They were presented 8 options then asked to vote on their favorite. Before the vote could be finalized, Correna spoke up offering an alternative design. It was a prairie scene featuring Mt. Rushmore and a buffalo. Immediately there was a great deal of enthusiasm for her offering… ALC members LOVED IT!

Recently Correna and I shared the following discussion.

Johna: How did you come up with your pin design?

Correna: I wanted it to represent South Dakota, so I did a bunch of research. I found other possibilities, but Mt. Rushmore was the most obvious answer. I really liked the buffalo as well. Buffalo are a sacred animal to Native Americans. As a member of the Oglala Sioux Tribe the buffalo really spoke to me.

Johna: What other design possibilities did you consider?

Correna: Our state bird is the pheasant, but I didn’t think most people would associate that with South Dakota. I also considered featuring Lady Dignity and Crazy Horse, but again, they aren’t as well-known as Mt. Rushmore.

Johna: Why was it important to you to share your design?

Correna: As an athlete leader, it’s important to me to contribute to Special Olympics. Having a voice and demonstrating leadership is what we are taught to do on the Athlete Leadership Council.

Johna: Your pin will end up all over the US. How does that make you feel?

Correna: Proud and excited. Getting acknowledged for my work is awesome!

Learn More about PinProsPlus

IN OTHER NEWS

Click to register

Our friends at New Directions Down Syndrome Association will be celebrating 25 years of the Buddy Walk. You are cordially invited to join the party.

Click for details

Best Buddies is excited to introduce Sioux Falls Citizens – a program that builds meaningful one-to-one friendships between adults with and without intellectual or developmental disabilities, by fostering connections in workplaces and throughout the community.

Who can join?

Participants must be:

Over the age of 18
Willing to submit a membership application
Able to complete a background screening
Available for a brief interview call with a Best Buddies volunteer

What’s the commitment?

A one-year friendship
Attending monthly events
Spending one-on-one time with your buddy weekly
Staying in touch through regular calls, texts, or messages

This program is a wonderful opportunity to make a friend and strengthen our community.

Please RSVP by clicking the link below for an interest meeting held on Monday, September 22nd at Yakkity Yak Coffe Shack from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM.

Best Buddies Citizens Interest Form

HEALTH & FITNESS

SONA Move Challenge Informational Webinar for Athletes

September 25 at 5:30p CT / 4:30p MT

Join the SONA Health team as they host a webinar for athletes interested in the SONA Move Challenge. The SONA Move Challenge is open to all athletes and will run from October 13 through December 8, helping to increase fitness and support mental health, all while having fun.

Come on, athletes of Special Olympics South Dakota, we want YOU to participate in this Challenge. Click here to learn what’s next.

Click To Register

SPORTS

Hey Aberdeen Friends…

Your Race, Your Pace is an event for the community to come together, and for each individual to succeed. It’s for ALL abilities, ALL athletes, to ALL achieve their goals. This is a unique race with multiple route options empowering and celebrating each participant from the avid to adaptive runner and everyone in between. Whether athletes walk, run, jog, or wheel to the finish line, they will be given a medal; they are champions for finishing their race at their pace.

Date: September 27, 2025

Location: Wylie Park – Aberdeen

Start time: 9:30 AM

Click For Details

LAW ENFORCEMENT TORCH RUN

22nd Annual Truck Convoy for Special Olympics South Dakota is this weekend!

W.H. Lyon Fairgrounds

100 N Lyon Blvd

Sioux Falls, SD 57107

Google Maps

Please join us for the 22nd Annual Truck Convoy for Special Olympics South Dakota to celebrate the trucking industry, partners, and law enforcement working together to raise funds for Special Olympics South Dakota.

Special Olympics South Dakota athletes not going to Fall Classic are invited to attend the Truck Convoy for Special Olympics this Saturday. Be sure to arrive at 9:00 a.m. to register, take part in the Opening Ceremony, and hop in for a ride during the Convoy. Trucks will begin rolling out at 10:30 a.m. – you don’t want to miss it!

Click Here to Register for the Truck Convoy