Articles in Fundraisers

In the spirit of the holidays, Special Olympics Iowa is featuring 12 Days of Athletes throughout the month of December. In honor of these amazing athletes, please consider making your year-end donation to Special Olympics Iowa. If your donation is received by December 31, it will be DOUBLED! Gifts on #GivingTuesday (Dec. 1) will be TRIPLED!

DONATE NOW

Day 1

Name: Isaac Youngblood
Age: 20
Delegation: Marshalltown Bobcats, Central Area

What does Special Olympics mean to you? Special Olympics means that I get to meet new people.

What is a fun fact about yourself? I am very funny

What is your favorite part about the holiday season? I get to see my family.

It is with great excitement that Special Olympics Iowa has opened two Endow Iowa agency funds. These funds demonstrate an investment in the athletes of both today and the future athletes of tomorrow.

An endowment fund is an investment fund held at a community foundation where the earnings are used as a source of income for the organization. There are currently two Endow Iowa agency funds: one held at the Community Foundation of Greater Des Moines and one at the Community Foundation of Greater Dubuque. These two funds provide donors additional benefits through the Endow Iowa Tax Credit and will continue forever as a source of income to help with the growing number of athletes that Special Olympics Iowa continues to serve.

If you have any questions or would like information on how to give to these funds please contact Stuart Steffy (ssteffy@soiowa.org) at the state office.

Plunging for a Purpose has taken on a whole new meaning for the Betsworth family. Mitchell Betsworth has been a Special Olympics Iowa athlete since junior high and now at the age of 20, completed his sixth Polar Plunge®.

“I love running into the water,” Mitchell says.

Mitchell is a member of the Sioux City Knights, which had 10 athletes on three different plunge teams participate in the 2015 Siouxland Polar Plunge® on Oct. 24. The teams raised more than $18,500 for Special Olympics Iowa.

But, the tradition of the Polar Plunge® began long before the Knights were formed.

“We heard something 11 years ago on the radio on a Wednesday,” recalled Mitchell’s dad, Troy Betsworth. “We collected money the night before and I talked my brother into doing it with me. There was a need for raising money for Special Olympics and we thought we could help.”

…

Granite City will be donating a portion of its sales to Special Olympics Iowa on Nov. 19!

Visit one of the three Granite City locations in Iowa – Cedar Rapids, Clive and Davenport – on Nov. 19, show your server our flyer and 15% of your total tab will be donated to Special Olympics Iowa!

Can’t stay for a meal? To go orders are included, too!

Nothing brings fans together like a good old-fashioned tailgate! The first annual Tailgate for Teammates presented by Voya was held Oct. 17 at the State Historical Building in downtown Des Moines. Sponosrs and guests helped SOIA reach its $50,000 fundraising goal.

Athletes mingled with guests as they autographed trading cards with their photo. We Are Iowa Local 5 News Anchor Elias Johnson emcee’d the event along with SOIA athlete Tyler Leech, entertaining the crowd.

…

After more than 63,260 total online votes were cast, Special Olympics Iowa (SOIA), based in the Des Moines area, was proclaimed the winner of the 10^th annual Make My Non-Profit Run Better contest.

Representatives from Premier, a leading provider of copiers, printers, networks, managed print services and pure drinking water systems, announced on WOI-TV this morning that Special Olympics Iowa – a non-profit that provides year-round sports training and competition for children and adults with intellectual disabilities – is the grand prize winner of a $15,000 office technology makeover.

…

Granite City will be donating a portion of its sales to Special Olympics Iowa on Oct. 22!

Visit one of the three Granite City locations in Iowa – Cedar Rapids, Clive and Davenport – on Oct. 22, show your server our flyer and 12.5% of your total tab will be donated to Special Olympics Iowa!

Can’t stay for a meal? To go orders are included, too!

Join Iowa State Football in supporting Special Olympics Iowa Oct. 3 as the Cyclones host the Kansas Jayhawks! Prior to the 11 a.m. kickoff, volunteers and our athletes will be stationed at each entralnce to Jack Trice Stadium collecting donations for SOIA. Drop off a donation on your way to cheering the Cyclones to victory!

Special Olympics Iowa will bring the Des Moines area Polar Plunge to Jordan Creek Town Center on Sat., Nov. 7, 2015. The event is presented by Lincoln Savings Bank.

The Polar Plunge will take place in a pool, donated by Central Iowa Pool and Spa, set up in the south parking lot at Jordan Creek Mall. Festivities begin at noon with plungers, fans, families and athletes enjoying a wide variety of family-friendly activities — Scott Tudor Entertainment will be DJ-ing the event, the Aveda Insitute will have blowouts available after you plunge and Lincoln Savings Bank will have an interactive tent — just to name a few!

Event Details

Date: November 7, 2015
Location: Jordan Creek Town Center
Cost: $75 fundraising minimum
Additional Information: *For every $75 raised, your name will be entered into a raffle for the door prize drawing.

Register Online

Brochure

Granite City will be donating a portion of its sales to Special Olympics Iowa on Sept. 10!

Visit one of the three Granite City locations in Iowa – Cedar Rapids, Clive or Dubuque – on Sept. 10, show your server our flyer and 10% of your total tab will be donated to Special Olympics Iowa!

Can’t stay for a meal? To go orders are included, too!