Special Olympics Papakura

Help us to send 40 Special Olympians to Nationals in Christchurch December 2025!

Papakura Special Olympics is a registered charity, providing opportunities for people with intellectual disabilities to train and compete in basketball, swimming, ten pin bowling and golf.

Unlike the Paralympics, we do not receive any centralised funding. We rely solely on donations and fundraising efforts.

Our athletes are phenomenal, overcoming issues that most people would struggle to cope with. Training is rigorous, and our athletes compete to be a part of every tournament. For many, Special Olympics is the only opportunity to socialise, travel, meet new people and test their limits!

The cost to send one athlete to Nationals is around $2,000. Our fundraising target is $100,000 to cover all athletes and take 15 volunteer Coaches and Managers.

Make a donation of any size and receive a certificate of support to display in your home or workplace. We can provide you with a donation receipt so you can claim a rebate for your generosity!

Become a volunteer and help with coaching, managing, transporting athletes to and from training, or fundraising. We have roles or jobs to suit everyone!

The support of our local community is widely appreciated. We would like to thank you in advance for any amount of support now or in the future. We look forward to hearing from you soon.

For any more information regarding this please contact us at sopapakura@gmail.com

Nga mihi, Kind regards

Karen Smith

Club Chairperson