Event Volunteer

Event Volunteers are one or two-day volunteers who make our competition and fundraising events happen! Event Volunteers assist with set-up and clean-up, event logistics, competitions, scorekeeping, awarding, etc. Event Volunteers must be age 14+, unless accompanied by a parent, guardian, or chaperone. To learn the volunteer age requirement for an event you are interested in supporting, please ask the event’s organizer.

Sign up for our Volunteer Updates to find out about opportunities near you, or find Special Olympics near you and contact your Area leadership or Region Director. If you are interested bringing a group to volunteer at one of our State Games, contact us at volunteer@specialolympicsva.org.

Time requirement: 2-8 hours per event

Volunteer fans of all ages are encouraged to support our athletes by Volunteering 2 Cheer at state-level, regional, and local competitions all over Virginia, all year round. It's never too early to introduce youth to service-learning initiatives. Volunteer 2 Cheer is a great way to inspire today's youth to become tomorrow's volunteer leaders. Visit volunteer2cheer.com to sign up and get loud at an event near you!

Time commitment: Volunteer 2 Cheer for as long or as short as you’d like!

Medical Volunteers provide onsite coverage of Special Olympics competitions and events by providing simple first aid. Medical Volunteers can also assist with Healthy Athletes screenings and MedFest, providing pre-participation medical examinations for our athletes. Medical Volunteers can be physicians, athletic trainers, nurses, physical therapists, emergency medical technicians, medical or nursing students, and/or paramedics. To volunteer your expertise at a one of our State Games, contact Dave Pawlowski, VP Program, at dpawlowski@specialolympicsva.org or to assist locally, find Special Olympics leadership near you.

Time commitment: Partial or full-day for both event coverage and pre-participation medical examinations.

In addition to one and two-day Event Volunteers, volunteers are needed to serve on Event Management Teams and assist with competition and fundraising events throughout the state. Duties include assisting staff with set-up, coordinating logistics, publicizing the event, recruiting volunteers, etc. Contact your local Special Olympics leadership to get involved.

If you are interested in assisting with one of our State Games, contact Dave Pawlowski, VP Program, at dpawlowski@specialolympicsva.org. If you'd like to be on an Event Management Team for a state-wide fundraising event like Polar Plunge, contact Holly Claytor, Vice President of Development & Communications, at hclaytor@specialolympicsva.org.

Time commitment: Generally requires 5-10 hours per month for a 2-3 month period, depending on the event.