The 2022 Special Olympics North Carolina (SONC) Fall Tournament concluded Nov. 12 in the Charlotte area, ending a weekend of competition for nearly 1,100 athletes and Unified partners from 37 local Programs from across the state, according to Keith L. Fishburne, president/CEO of SONC. Unified partners are individuals without intellectual disabilities who train and compete alongside Special Olympics athletes.
For the first time since 2019, due to the pandemic, SONC’s second largest state-level competition returned, taking place at venues in Charlotte, Indian Trail and Gastonia as well as cycling competition in Rock Hill, South Carolina. Athletes competed in bocce, cycling, golf, roller skating, softball, soccer and tennis.
To ensure fair competition, athletes were placed in competition divisions based on age, gender and ability level. Gold, silver and bronze medals were awarded to the top three finishers in each division, followed by fourth through eighth-place ribbons. Competition results are available online.
Athletes from the following 37 local Programs competed in the 2022 SONC Fall Tournament: Alleghany, Avery, Beaufort/Hyde, Cabarrus, Caldwell, Catawba, Cleveland, Craven, Cumberland, Davidson, Davie, Durham, Forsyth, Franklin, Gaston, Guilford/Greensboro, Guilford/High Point, Harnett, Iredell, Johnston, Lake Norman, Lee, Lincoln, Madison, Mecklenburg, Moore, Nash, Orange, Pitt, Rowan, Stanly, Surry, Union, Wake, Watauga, Wayne and Wilkes.
During the weekend, SONC leadership presented outstanding individuals with state-level awards. Amanda Faggart of Special Olympics Cabarrus County was presented the 2022 SONC Athlete of the Year Award. Craig Calcasola of Special Olympics Mecklenburg County was presented the 2022 SONC Volunteer of the Year Award. The 2022 SONC Family of the Year Award was presented to the Wooten family of Special Olympics Lincoln County. Special Olympics Davie County athlete Brittany Green was presented the 2022 Robb Williams Tennis Sportsmanship Award.
For media inquiries, contact SONC Director of Communications Madeline Safrit at msafrit@sonc.net or (919)-719-7662 ext. 110.
Official 2022 SONC sponsors include: Supreme Level: Law Enforcement Torch Run® for Special Olympics North Carolina; Championship Level: Sheetz, IDEAs that Work, Credit Suisse Americas Foundation, North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, Jersey Mike’s Subs, NC Knights of Columbus and Publix; Gold Level: Civitan International and Dunkin’ Donuts; Silver Level: BlueCross BlueShield of North Carolina, Duke Fuqua School of Business, United Way of the Greater Triangle, Prudential, Abound Health, A Caring Heart Case Management, Inc., AAA Carolinas, Golisano Foundation, Hyundai, DMJ, Metrographics, Lenovo, Bank of America, NFL Foundation, Wells Fargo, Erie Insurance and Vaya Health; Bronze Level: Digital Mettle, David and Nicole Tepper Foundation, State Employees Combined Campaign, Milestone Strategies, Finish Line, ESPN, Ellis & Winters LLP, Burger King, Dick’s Sporting Goods and Bayada Home Health Care; Honorary Delegation: Charlotte’s got a lot, Cisco, The Dale Jr. Foundation, Southland Dairy Farmers, ALKU, NC ABLE Program and Partners Health Management.
About Special Olympics North Carolina
Since 1968, the organization has used the transformative power of sports to improve the lives of children and adults with intellectual disabilities. Nearly 40,000 athletes in North Carolina inspire thousands of coaches, sports officials, local program committee members and event organizers involved in Special Olympics statewide. SONC offers year-round training and competition in 20 Olympic-type sports on local and state levels as well as health and wellness initiatives to improve the health status and increase access to community health resources for individuals with intellectual disabilities. Youth become agents of change through Unified Champion Schools, an education and sports-based program created by Special Olympics to build an inclusive environment among youth with and without intellectual disabilities as well as empower them to become youth leaders and create change in their community. Engage with us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube.
