The 9th annual motionball Marathon of Sport fundraiser takes to the fields of City Park, this Saturday (Sep 18) in support of the Special Olympics Canada Foundation.
With the easing of regionally specific Interior Health restrictions announced on Monday, motionball has been given the green light. The new health orders have loosened just enough to allow for fully vaccinated participants to play alongside their Special Olympic teammates in a non-competitive day of sport.
Many adjustments had to be made to ensure the safety of everyone involved, and motionball’s volunteer organizing committee is confident returning participants will get to experience the day, with the same energy and enthusiasm, as they remember from year’s past.
“Though safety is the highest priority on everyone’s mind, we’ve still held onto the values you can always expect at any motionball event, put quite simply as fun," says motionball Kelowna’s Volunteer Event Director, Derek Fuhr.
“Since the much needed funds are raised in the weeks and days leading up to the event, Saturday is a celebration for everyone involved. It’s a day to be introduced to the very athletes we set out to support, a day to enjoy alongside friends, a day to make new friends, and a day for our community to come together in a very positive way. We believe this type of social connection is something that our city could use a lot more of these days, and we are grateful that this day is once again able to transpire.”
This year’s fundraising goal is set at $150,000 and motionball got a push in the right direction with a generous $10,000 USD donation, received by a charitable organization new to Kelowna, The Valley Guardians.
“As we begin expanding our horizons, The Valley Guardians is very excited to be planting seeds in Kelowna," says Braden Hudye, Co-founder and recipient Director of The Valley Guardians. "With a goal of raising funds to help community initiatives, we felt that supporting motionball Kelowna and the Special Olympics movement would be a perfect fit to make our introductory local mark.”