Supporting athletes and the community with Special Olympics Arizona

This year, the Special Olympics Arizona (SOAZ) held their Summer Games on March 25-27 with three days of Olympic-style ceremonies and competition for athletes with intellectual disabilities. Thanks to a partnership between SOAZ, the City of Goodyear Parks and Recreation Department, and Microsoft, an Adaptive Recreation program was created to support the achievements of SOAZ athletes and Unified Sports partners of all ages.

Special Olympics Arizona also provides access to training and competition opportunities, health screenings, and other resources at no cost to the athletes. The Adaptive Recreation program will foster physical fitness, social skills, teamwork, and self-confidence for all participants.

Microsoft contributed a monetary donation that will go toward helping SOAZ and the City of Goodyear provide inclusive events and competitions, community-based youth sports programming, and upgrades to the SOAZ headquarters. Microsoft employees also got involved by volunteering at the Summer Games, providing their time and skills to aid the event.

“We are excited about ongoing opportunities with the City of Goodyear and SOAZ as we believe that our mission statements are closely aligned,” said Avery Africa, senior program manager at Microsoft. “We are grateful to be part of this journey as both of our organizations share the vision of creating a more inclusive world where everyone can participate and thrive, regardless of their abilities or backgrounds.”