President’s Corner: February
February flew by as we wrapped up a successful Plunge and jumped straight into the Dunk, two Interscholastic Unified Sports state tournaments, Capitol Hill Day, Developmental Disabilities Day in Annapolis, and our Winter Games at WISP. Our Basketball season is also in full swing with weekly league play and qualifying tournaments for teams which will compete at the state tournament on March 29th and 30th.
Deep Creek Dunk Success
The 2025 Deep Creek Dunk was a huge success! Thank you to Bill Ingram and his team at Uno and Honi Honi for once again hosting the event.
Dunk week kicked off Thursday morning with over 400 Cool Schools Dunkers from Northern High, Northern Middle, and Southern High. Despite single-digit temperatures, the students raised $36,722 — all of which will support Unified Sports programs in Garrett County. Special thanks to Paul Edwards, Chelsie Manges, and Dr. Brenda McCartney for their support.
On Thursday afternoon, we hosted the second annual Community Dunk with the Garrett Chamber of Commerce during their Business After Hours event. Interim Chamber President Nick Charles led 32 Community Dunkers into the icy waters, raising $14,181. Thank you to sponsors G&W Lumber, First Peoples Community Federal Credit Union, New Earth Landscape, and Deep Creek Lake 100 Years for their support.
In total, 917 Dunkers and hundreds of supporters raised over $185,000 for Special Olympics Maryland!
The Dunk’s success wouldn’t have been possible without the support of Maryland State Police, Natural Resources Police, State Highway Authority, Garrett County Emergency Services, and Southern Garrett Rescue Squad. Special thanks to John Newnan and Jeff Spaulding for working with the Natural Resources Police to cut through 12–16 inches of ice to create the Dunk zone.
In its 26th year, the Dunk raised an impressive $251,149.11! Athletes like Georgie Mattingly and Laura Bittenger from Garrett County inspired the crowd with their resilience and spirit. The Dunk united people from all walks of life in support of building a more inclusive Maryland.
Winter Games at WISP
Funds raised from the Dunk support programs in Garrett County, including the Winter Games at WISP. This year, 87 Alpine Skiers and 89 Snowshoe athletes competed, demonstrating incredible teamwork and determination.
Healthy Athletes at Winter Games
For the first time, Special Olympics Maryland offered Healthy Athlete screenings at the Winter Games.
In total, we provided 146 screenings across three disciplines:
- Fit Feet – 52 screenings
- Healthy Hearing – 42 screenings (including 13 custom swim molds)
- Special Smiles – 52 screenings
Over 70 athletes participated, supported by volunteers from Towson University, UMB School of Dentistry, UPitt School of Dentistry, Maryland Physicians Care, Maryland Health Connection, and more.
Interscholastic Unified Sports Highlights
Our Interscholastic Unified Sports (IUS) Indoor Bocce State Tournament was rescheduled to March 11th due to snow. On February 18th, 124 athletes and Unified teammates from seven high schools competed in the IUS Strength and Conditioning State Tournament in Snow Hill, showing teamwork and determination in events like the deadlift, bench press, bar hang, and stationary cycling. This competition highlighted the value of Interscholastic Unified Sports, as students with and without disabilities shared how they’ve built meaningful friendships that wouldn’t have formed without Unified Sports.
Athlete Advocacy
On February 4th, our athlete leaders met with all 14 of Maryland’s representatives on Capitol Hill, advocating for continued support for education and health initiatives. On February 13th, they joined other advocates in Annapolis for Developmental Disabilities Day, helping to limit proposed budget cuts to services for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Thank You!
Thank you to everyone who made February such a success for our athletes and Unified teammates! Through sport — and the Dunk — we are building inclusive communities of dignity and respect, where opportunity is not limited by disability.
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