Sponsor Spotlight: FanDuel

FanDuel Partnership Highlights the Value of Unified Sports®
St. Mary’s Unified Basketball Team Brings Home the Silver Medal

Special Olympics Maryland is proud to partner with FanDuel in supporting our athletes on their journey to the 2026 Special Olympics USA Games in Minnesota. FanDuel’s commitment extended far beyond Maryland, with a significant presence throughout the Games in Minnesota, where they celebrated and supported Special Olympics athletes from across the country.

At the heart of FanDuel’s partnership is a shared belief that sports have the power to change lives. This partnership reflects FanDuel’s broader commitment to expanding access to sports by working with organizations that promote inclusion and help remove barriers to participation.

FanDuel’s contribution at the Games will power the Sports Recovery Stations and Healthy Athletes Fun Fitness areas, helping athletes stay strong, energized, and ready to compete at their best. Fanduel’s employees will also have the opportunity to volunteer in a variety of roles throughout the Games.

We are incredibly grateful for FanDuel’s investment in our athletes and for their dedication to creating a more inclusive future through the power of sport. FanDuel was fully invested in this partnership as they produced a series titled “FandDuel Presents Road to the 2026 Special Olympics USA Games. Episode two of the series titled Brotherhood and Basketball: Shaun Ridley’s Journey to the 2026 Special Olympics USA Games features Shaun Ridley and Louis Scott, members of the Team Maryland Basketball team from St. Mary’s County. FanDuel also arranged for Shaun and Louis to be guests on the Up & Adams Show with Kay Adams where they talked about competing at USA Games.

Louis Trombetta, FanDuel’s Director of Government Relations, joined Team Maryland for our sendoff dinner on June 18, the evening before the delegation departed for Minnesota. During the evening, Louis met Shaun, Louis, their St. Mary’s County teammates, and other Team Maryland athletes. As part of the sendoff program, he addressed the full team and spoke about the value of team building and friendship through sport, as demonstrated by Shaun and Louis. His remarks reinforced FanDuel’s commitment to Team Maryland and all Special Olympics Maryland athletes.

We also appreciate the collaborative effort that helped bring this partnership to life. Alexa Carney (Vice President of Marketing and Communications) worked with FanDuel to coordinate the video production. Coaches Don Bewick and Wil Ridley embraced the opportunity and helped coordinate the facility and athlete participation for the video shoot. Melissa Anger (Senior Director, High School Interscholastic Unified Sports and member of the Team Maryland Management Team) and Sharon Perfetti (Vice President, Development) worked with FanDuel to support Louis Trombetta’s participation in the sendoff dinner program.

This partnership is a strong example of how we seek to make our partnerships transformative and mutually beneficial. Together with FanDuel, we helped share another powerful story about the impact of sport and, in this case, the life-changing value of Unified Sports®.

The #TeamMaryland Unified Basketball Team came home with silver medals after a tough matchup against Special Olympics Texas. Way to go team!

Thank you, FanDuel, for your commitment to telling that story and for supporting Special Olympics Maryland athletes.