SOMO News

Here’s a look back at all of the amazing Special Olympics Missouri (SOMO) events that took place this week!

KC Unified Basketball Intramural with UMKC: Tuesday, February 25

This 5-Week Unified Basketball Intramural League with UMKC will take place on Tuesday evenings, 5:45-7:00pm at UMKC Swinney Recreation Center. This program wraps up this week on March 4 with a total of five sessions.

Virtual Fit5: Tuesday, February 25

On February 25, participants joined the second session of the Virtual Fit5 series, led by Charlie Phillips. As part of Heart Healthy Month, the session focused on a cardio-based exercise to help athletes improve their fitness. The four-week program continues every Tuesday evening on Zoom. Click here for information on our next session.

KC UCS Local Basketball Invitational – Smithville School District: Thursday, February 27

Last Thursday, Smithville School District hosted its first annual basketball event, bringing together incredible athletes for a day of competition and skill-building. The event showcased both Individual Skills and Team Skills. A huge shoutout to Fort Osage School District, Wellington-Napoleon High School, and Lathrop R-II School District for bringing the heat and making the day unforgettable! The energy from our athletes and volunteers was off the charts!

West Regional Basketball: Saturday, March 1

The West Regional Basketball Tournament took place on Saturday, March 1, in St. Joseph, Mo., with athletes competing from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Games were held across multiple venues, including Lafayette High School, Benton High School, Spring Garden Middle School, Bode Middle School, and The REC Center. A huge thank you to our amazing volunteers who worked morning and afternoon shifts at each location to make this event a success!

2025 Polar Plunge Springfield: Saturday, March 1

A total of 7 Super Plungers and 140 Polar Plungers braved the icy waters in Springfield last weekend. Thanks to their dedication and the generosity of our community, we raised over $60,000! Stay tuned for a full recap video and article coming soon. You can find photos from this event here.

KC Pickleball Series: Sunday, March 2

Athletes gathered at Char Bar Parkville on March 2 for another great session of the KC Pickleball Series! This free skill development event provided a great opportunity for participants to refine their pickleball techniques while enjoying a fun and active evening. Athletes with active physicals through SOMO took part in the ongoing series, which will continue through early March. Click here for information on our next session.

Be sure to check out our SOMO calendar for all of our upcoming events! If you’d like to volunteer, visit our Volunteer Hub!