Special Olympics Kauai

Home
United States
Kalaheo, HI
Special Olympics Kauai

Call Directions Website Contact the organization

Special Olympics Inc. But it’s history began in 1946 when the Kennedy family founded to Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr., Foundation to honor the memory of Joseph P.

Special Olympics provides people with intellectual disabilities continuing opportunities to realize their potential, develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage and experience joy and friendship. was established in December 1968 as a non-profit organization to provide year-round sports training and athletic competition in a variety of Olympic-type sports for children and adults with mental retardation, and foster increased understanding and integration of people with mental retardation in the general community. Kennedy, Jr., who was killed in World War II. The Kennedy Foundation's mission was and is to learn how to prevent mental retardation and to improve society’s treatment of people with mental retardation. In the 1950s, the foundation developed a grant program to improve care for people with intellectual disabilities. Yet Eunice and Sargent Shriver learned on a fact-finding tour of the United States that people with mental retardation had the greatest unmet needs in all of the nation’s health care delivery systems. In 1963, Eunice Kennedy Shriver started a summer day camp for 100 local children and adults with mental retardation at her home in Rockville, MD. The day camp’s program successfully demonstrated that people with mental retardation mot only participate in a wide variety of recreational experiences but also benefit from the experience. As a result, the Foundation decided to support the Foundation awarded more than 80 small grants to public and private organizations in the U.S. and Canada to enable them to create and administer day camps for people with mental retardation in their communities. Special Olympics Hawaii also was established in 1968. SOHI receives no funding from the Kennedy Foundation. All money raised in Hawaii stays in Hawaii to establish and maintain programs for thousands of people with intellectual disabilities throughout the state.

10/22/2026

Meet our Hosts for Legislative Forum 2026
Rebecca Dingus and Colin Locicero.
Both Come from Team Unify and they were the starting emcees for this evenings Legislative Forum and they were outstanding!

Off the field, they both take on leadership roles in our community and we are very proud of all their accomplishments and achievements.
Way to go Rebecca and Colin 🤙🏽
Special Olympics Hawaii

10/22/2026

Special Olympics Kauai participated at this years Legislative Forum 2026. We provide resources and insights of our mission of Special Olympics.

Area director Lisa Aki and Volunteer Coach Leona Sa McDermott were on hand to provide outreach and information to anyone inquiring about our organization.

Leona Sa McDermott’ not only volunteers as a coach, but she also serves as a board member for the State of Hawaii Disabilities Council where she also co-hosted today’s Legislative Forum.

Special Olympics Hawaii

10/22/2026

Kauai Legislative Forum 2026

Today the Kauai DD Council was honored to recognize our Kauai Lanakila Athlete - Rylan Rivera Alesna as the Employee of the Year.

Rylan exemplifies that value and talent as a courtesy clerk at Safeway in Kapa’a with the support of DVR. Outside of work he cares for animals at home, competes in Special Olympics track and field, bowling and plays in bands.

The 2026 national theme “Celebrating value and talent” affirms that’s individuals with Disabilities bring essential skills, dedication and perspective to workplaces across the nation and here on Kauai where a strong Inclusive workforce reflects the spirit of Aloha.

Congratulations Rylan!! We are so proud of you!

Special Olympics Hawaii

09/28/2026

Special Olympics Kauai Bowling Area Meet 2026 wrapped up this weekend at Kauai Bowl.
Our Kauai Athletes took part in a 2 day area meet event to qualify for States Competition in November at the Holiday Classic.
Both singles and unified partners competed to qualify.
We would like to Thank the many volunteers who came out and support us over the last two days. Kapaa High Key Club, Sheraton Kauai, Hawaii Gas, Waimea bowling club. Our coaches, our volunteers and huge Mahalo to Phelps Foundation for ensuring every athlete had a care package in hand as we still recover from Hurricane Lowell.
Our Athletes, unified partners, coaches, volunteers needed this “breathing “ time away from recovery, and it was well embraced over the weekend to see our Kauai community reconnect with one another. Even Spider-Man appeared again at one of our events!! 😂🤙🏽

Mahalo!
Special Olympics Hawaii

09/20/2026

Special Olympics Kauai Badges and Buckets 2026 will take a step back this year as Kauai heals from Hurricane Lowell.

We would like to thank the community for their ongoing support for our Kauai Athletes.

For our KIUC team who gives us a lift to the roof every year, we mahalo you for the work you’re doing in this difficult time for businesses and the many Kauai Ohana return to normalcy.

To our Kauai Police Department who dedicate their time on the roof for three days to support us, we mahalo you for keeping Kauai safe, serving your community as the first responders in this difficult time.

Let’s all take the time to reflect on all the many blessings we have received over the years and we pray for everyone who has poured out their hearts to help one another in this difficult time. We are Kauai Strong and we will rise again.

Mahalo

Special Olympics Hawaii

09/16/2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1YihtgbV8H/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Special Olympics Hawaii
Special Olympics USA Games

One week after Hurricane Lowell hit Kauaʻi, this original song is f...

09/14/2026

We want to mahalo the community of Kauai for all the Kokua, support and help to all in need of to recover.
Mahalo to our first responders, linemen, county, state, truck drivers, clean up volunteers, businesses, the list goes on and on. Kauai will always pull through anything because of the people and community working together.

Our faith is strong, we will recover and we will holomua all together once again.
Our Kamali’i… teaching them to Malama who takes care of us and ensuring our safety for years to come, mahalo for providing meals to our first responders today.

God bless you all.

Special Olympics Hawaii
Special Olympics USA Games

09/10/2026

**** Special Olympics Kauai****

All events and fundraisers is postponed til further notice.

Travel on our roads only if it’s a necessity, shelter in place if at all possible.

Stay tuned and we will provide updates as our Island heals from this Disaster.

Please stay safe and Malama one another.

Special Olympics Hawaii

09/02/2026

Aloha Everyone! ** Revised with new updated QR code **

So excited to share our upcoming Mālama Me Health & Hygiene Clinic event! Please see the attached flyer for all the details.

Event Details:
Saturday, September 12, 2026
Chiefess Kamakahelei Middle School (CKMS) – Basketball Court
Registration begins at 9:00 a.m.
Event: 9:30–11:00 a.m.
Mālama Me is open to our Special Olympics Kauai Athletes, Unified Partners, and siblings of our Athletes. To register, simply scan the QR code on the attached flyer.
Please encourage everyone on your teams to register early and, most importantly, show up and participate! Anyone who registers byFriday, September 11 at 4:00 p.m. will receive a FREE gift.

Mālama Me is being sponsored by the Phelps Foundation, and Sophie will be joining us for the event. This is a wonderful opportunity for our Kauai athletes and families, and there is a possibility that this could grow into a yearly event with Phelps. Having a strong turnout from our Kauai ʻOhana will help make this first event a success and hopefully open the door for us to continue it in the years ahead.

Mahalo
Special Olympics Hawaii

08/30/2026

Eastside carnival 2026 wrap up of our “Dunk for a Cause” dunking booth.
A Big Mahalo to our partner - Kauai Police Department in which we started off as Dunk a cop originally.
Mama Tiff Cares Foundation - Tiffany Mahelona for having us once again.
Ken Carvalho for Donating the Dunking Booth!
Our volunteers in the Dunking booth!
This year we extended the invite to our mayoral candidates Mel Rapozo and Bernard Carvalho and county council candidates, Taylor Shigemoto, Paul Applegate, Billy DeCosta, Keola Kaiminauuao, Michelle Correa, Todd Ozaki, our police recruits, our police officers, Our coaches of SOK and unified partners…. Even Spiderman showed up 😂

A big Mahalo to our Kauai Community for ALWAYS showing up to support our Kauai Athletes. We not only raised funds, we raised awareness of who we are and what our mission is. We even had people asking how can they be part of us and volunteer. ❤️

We also had our National Champions of USA Games 2026 Kaimana and Johnathan on the main stage that got recognized and honored by Mama Tiff Cares foundation and was presented with a beautiful carved wooden plaque of their accomplishments. 🥇

Save the best for last, Mahalo to our Area Director Lisa Aki for the outstanding work she does for her Area. Kauai as why!🤙🏽

Next stop.. Badges and Buckets Kauai!!
Come and support us once again at Your Kauai Walmart for 3 days of fun filled fundraising as our KPD Officers will be hoisted to the roof top of Walmart on Thursday September 17 and will remain up there til we raise our goal!
Sept 17, 18, 19 Kauai Walmart!
Our KPD officers are pumped and ready for this event so come on down Kauai!🤙🏽
Special Olympics Hawaii
Kaua'i Police Department

Address

PoBox 1207
Kalaheo, HI
96741

Telephone

+1 808-943-8808

Website

http://www.specialolympicshawaii.org/

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Special Olympics Kauai posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.