Can-Am donates $95,000 to Special Olympics
BUTLER TWP — The decision to make Special Olympics Pennsylvania the benefactor of donations to this year’s Can-Am Police-Fire Games was a “no-brainer” to the games’ board of directors.
“As soon as we asked, everybody said Special Olympics,” said Chuck Lewis, media and marketing coordinator for the Can-Am Games.
On Friday, Dec. 20, the board of directors, led by Butler County Sheriff Mike Slupe, who was CEO for the Butler County side of Can-Am, presented a check for $95,000 to Special Olympics Pennsylvania at a ceremony at Butler Senior High School.
The money was raised over the summer, when hundreds of emergency response and law enforcement personnel from across North America descended upon Butler County to compete in Olympic-style events for the games. Slupe said sponsors for the games not only donated space for use for particular events, but donated money that would contribute to Butler County’s gift to Special Olympics.
Slupe also credited the participants for helping spread the word about the games, and the Butler County Tourism and Convention Bureau with bringing the international sporting event to the county in the first place.
“This was a huge team effort to bring this check to Special Olympics PA today,” Slupe said. “We had on the board, members from law enforcement, firefighting, EMS, 911, the prison — all of the services were really captured on the board.
“The (tourism) bureau gave so much time, energy, work … Without the bureau that wouldn’t have come here.”
Representatives from Special Olympics Pennsylvania were at Butler Senior High School on Friday to recognize the school as a national Banner Unified Champion School, which it earned after a review from the agency. Butler high school has a Best Buddies program and a unified sports program, where students with and without intellectual and developmental disabilities get together for group competitions and activities.
Slupe presented the check to Special Olympics Pennsylvania with the help of student members of the groups. He said he hoped to see the Special Olympics and Best Buddies programs keep working in schools.
“It does bring a tear to your eye because of how special this program is to every community,” Slupe said. “These young men and women are absolutely amazing. This Best Buddies program is so special to see how everybody just comes together.”
