In 2024, Special Olympics BC invites our amazing athletes and volunteers to Bring a Buddy to experience the joy of your programs – and get great prizes!
Bring a friend to meet the amazing athletes and find out how much fun it is to participate with Special Olympics BC.
Who?
Each registered athlete and volunteer in Special Olympics BC sport programs can bring a friend to experience the fun of being part of the Special Olympics BC family. Both you and your friend will receive SOBC-branded giveaway items in gratitude. If you are interested in participating, please communicate with your head coach to ensure athlete-to-volunteer ratios won't be affected. Then your head coach is responsible for registering your program for Bring a Buddy to receive giveaways for you and your friend.
When?
Bring a Buddy will resume in the 2024-25 sport and program season. Stay tuned for more updates!
Why?
By participating, you’ll play a vital part in bringing more athletes and volunteers to help make Special Olympics BC’s life-changing year-round programs possible.
Our data and studies show that word of mouth and in-person experiences are among the most successful ways to welcome new athletes and volunteers to join our joyful community. Let’s show everyone how they can find their most rewarding experience ever with Special Olympics BC’s amazing athletes and empowering year-round programs!
Role of Current Athletes and Volunteers
- Invite a friend to join you in one of your program's sessions
- Receive giveaway bag
- Distribute handouts to family and friends and encourage them to sign up either as a new athlete or volunteer.
Role of Head Coaches
- Let your athletes and volunteers know about the opportunity to participate in the Bring a Buddy program.
- Receive the Bring a Buddy package from SOBC with the giveaway items and handouts for participants and distribute to participating athletes and volunteers, and/or save for future use.
- When your athlete and volunteer brings a buddy, prepare to briefly speak to welcome all the buddies, sharing why Special Olympics matters so much to them and why everyone should get involved.
SOBC's Role
- Supply all prizing, promotional resources, best practices for hosting a successful try-it experience, and handouts to be distributed at programs telling how to register as an athlete or volunteer.
- Create and monitor the Bring a Buddy registration form.
- Promote the opportunity in provincial channels.
- After the program ends, execute follow-up communication with all participants to help encourage buddies to officially register as volunteers and continue to learn more about Special Olympics.
A buddy doesn’t need to visit the exact program or role that the Local needs to fill. The idea is to introduce them to the joyful experience of Special Olympics, and let them know about open programs and Local Committee roles.
What’s Next
SOBC hopes all head coaches will provide feedback on how Bring a Buddy went at the end of the sport season. Surveys will be sent out to all registered head coaches and you will be entered to win prizes for sharing your feedback.
Questions?
Please contact your Community Development Coordinator or SOBC Engagement Coordinator Donna Ma at dma@specialolympics.bc.ca or 604-908-6491!