Welcome to Special Olympics Gaston County!
Special Olympics Gaston County serves nearly 400 children and adults with intellectual disabilities throughout the county. Training and competition programs are offered in 11 sports.
Volunteers make Special Olympics programs possible! Contact Ashley Anderson get involved as a coach, or a volunteer at an event, or serve on a committee.
Special Olympics Gaston County is actively seeking volunteer coaches in the following sports for the 2022-23 sports season. If you are interested or know of someone who is interested please email us at gaston@sonc.net. Learn more here.
Special Olympics North Carolina offers training and competition in 20 Olympic-type sports. See the sports here. Local program sport offerings vary based on athlete interest, coaches and facility availability. To find out what sports are offered by this program, contact the local program coordinator.
Learn more here!
Special Olympics Gaston County Fall Sports Banquet
Thursday, December 1
6 – 7:30 p.m.
First United Methodist Church
190 E. Franklin Blvd., Gastonia, NC 28052
Winter Paint Party
Friday, December 2
4 – 6 p.m. at the Bradley Center
1200 Modena St., Gastonia, NC 28054
Holiday Gift Giving
Wednesday, December 7
Athlete Leadership Committee Meeting
One Wednesday a month (December 14)
7 – 8 p.m. at Gaston County Sheriff’s Department
Special Olympics Gaston County Holiday Party
Thursday, December 15
5 – 6:30 p.m. at First United Methodist Church Family Life Center
190 E. Franklin Blvd., Gastonia, NC 28052
Committee Meeting
One Tuesday a month (December 20)
6 – 6:45 p.m. at First United Methodist Church Family Life Center
190 E. Franklin Blvd., Gastonia, NC 28052
Athletes interested in being on this committee can learn more here.
Are you interested in having a Special Olympics athlete at your event or meeting? There are two Athlete Leadership roles that you can request!
Global Messengers
Global Messengers are Special Olympics athletes who have been trained in public speaking to serve as ambassadors for the organization. They can recruit potential athletes, volunteers and sponsors through public presentations.
Athlete Ambassadors
Athlete Ambassadors are representatives for Special Olympics North Carolina at functions that often have businesses or individuals that have donated money, food, etc. to Special Olympics NC and this is a way to thank them. Ambassadors are able to say thank you and show our appreciation while at events.
To schedule a Global Messenger or Athlete Ambassador appearance, please contact the local coordinator.
Since athletes never pay a fee to participate in Special Olympics, donations and sponsorships allow our program to purchase seasonal sport equipment, pay facility rental fees, purchase uniforms, and pay for travel (hotels, competition registration fees, etc.). See the 2022-23 Sponsorship Form.
Contact us if you are interested in being a sponsor of our program. We would love your support!
Special Olympics Unified Champion Schools bring youth with and without intellectual disabilities together through sports and education to create school communities of acceptance and respect. Unified Champion Schools are seen through every level of education (Pre-K/Head Start through college) and are driven by youth and staff leaders.
Volunteer in Gaston County!
Volunteers are the foundation of Special Olympics Gaston County, making all that we do possible! We are currently looking for volunteer coaches, local competition event volunteers, sponsors and more!
If you are interested in coaching with Special Olympics Gaston County, please contact the local coordinator.
Get in touch with us!
Local Program Coordinator
Ashley Anderson
Email: gaston@sonc.net
Community Resource Director – West
Lindsay Waldron
704-358-1935 x161
VP of Community Resources
Lindsay Waldron
704-358-1935 x161
