The mission of Special Olympics is to provide year-round sports training and athletic competition in a variety of Olympic-type sports for children and adults with intellectual disabilities, giving them continuing opportunities to develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage, experience joy and participate in a sharing of gifts, skills and friendship with their families, other Special Olympics athletes and the community.

Special Olympics Bonaire has been serving the community since 1990 and will be able to continuing doing so with your help.

The Annual Walk-a-Thon is yet the best fundraising event for the organization and so helping the flow of finances needed to compete with other Special Olympics organizations abroad.

Children and adults with intellectual disabilities who participate in Special Olympics develop improved physical fitness and motor skills, greater self-confidence and a more positive self-image. They grow mentally, socially and spiritually and, through their activities, exhibit boundless courage and enthusiasm, enjoy the rewards of friendship and ultimately discover not only new abilities and talents but "their voices" as well.

Competing in Special Olympic games helps bringing all persons with intellectual disabilities into the larger society under conditions whereby they are accepted, respected and given the chance to become useful and productive citizens.

Special Olympics Bonaire has athletes at the moment in the following sports: Athletics (Track & Field), Bocce, Bowling, Swimming & Tennis
These sports are the ones in which Special Olympics Bonaire competes abroad.

The Special Olympics World Summer Games will be held in Shanghai, China in October 2007. This will be the first time in history that the World Summer Games will be held in the Asia Pacific region. Over 10,000 Special Olympics athletes and coaches from more than 150 countries and territories will participate in 20 events including athletics (track & field), basketball, football (soccer), power-lifting, table tennis, gymnastics, equestrian, sailing, cycling, volley ball, bocce, bowling, golf, badminton, etc. About 30,000 parents, educators, scientists and distinguished guests will also participate in a variety of Special Olympics symposiums, seminars and other related activities.

For our tiny island of Bonaire to participate in such a grand event is not only a privilege but also an honor.

In the spirit of representing Bonaire in National Games in the region as well as the World Games, we need your support to help us get there.

There are many ways you can help! Here are some:

• Buy your ticket for the Walk-A-Thon--Remember you can walk, jog, bike, step and even crawl the 30KM or part of it!

• Sponsor your employee’s tickets, so they can represent your company in the Walk-A-Thon, this way showing that you too care for the athletes of Special Olympics and therefore your community in general.

• Sponsor tickets for other volunteer organizations on the island, which would love to walk but have a small budget of their own.

• Make a bet with a friend and guess how many Kilometres you think he/she can walk, and sponser a certain amount for every KM that he/she actually walks!

• Donate either tickets or cheques to Special Olympics Bonaire

• Buy tickets as gifts to other friends

• Help us with our waterstations

• Get a group of friends interested to join you for the walk! It can be a lot of fun!

• If you don’t want to walk the 30 KM, you can start wherever you like and join the group at, the airport, city café, Captain Don’s Habitat or wherever you’d like on the route.

• If you would like to combine walking with cycling, that is also possible!

• If you are not an early bird, you can meet your group of friends a certain hour at a certain place and join the rest of the walkers, cyclers and joggers!

• These are some of the ways you can help us with our Walk-A-Thon.

• Cheques and volunteers are ofcourse always welcome!

• Thank you in advance for making this 4th Walk-A-Thon already a success!