By Mark Dreger

Kelowna residents gathered in City Park Saturday to participate in the 6th Annual Motionball event to raise funds for the Special Olympics Canada Foundation.

About 350 athletes and 60 volunteers competed in the Marathon of Sport event with each team having at least one of the 44 Special Olympians on their roster. Athletes played football, soccer, Frisbee, basketball, ball hockey, and even human foosball to name a few.

91裸聊视频淲e want to educate young professionals on intellectual disabilities and the Special Olympics (SO) movement,91裸聊视频� said Donnie Ungaro, motionball co-event director for Kelowna. 91裸聊视频淭wo per cent of the Canadian population has an intellectual disability, yet only 20 per cent of those are in Special Olympics programs, so we want to get our generation involved in the movement as donors and coaches and sponsors and helping out with it.91裸聊视频�

Motionball wants to help people integrate with Special Olympics91裸聊视频� athletes so that when they see someone with a disability on the street, they are encouraged to talk to them instead of shying away.

Peter, an SO athlete who attended his second Motionball event, enjoys meeting new people and having fun playing sports.

91裸聊视频淚 lot of people know that there91裸聊视频檚 people with disabilities that want to compete in sports just like people without,91裸聊视频� Peter told the Capital News. 91裸聊视频淚 did want to join sports when I was growing up in school. I did a few like track and field, but I didn91裸聊视频檛 really start doing sports until I joined Special Olympics.91裸聊视频�

Peter has been a part of Special Olympics for four years and he will be playing in soccer nationals next summer.

Fellow special Olympic athlete Claire was the youngest participant in Motionball this year at 9-years-old. Claire said she likes playing basketball and hockey, but her favourite is ribbon gymnastics where she does cartwheels, handstands, and the splits.

91裸聊视频淗aving an intellectual disability doesn91裸聊视频檛 mean that they91裸聊视频檙e different than us,91裸聊视频� said Erica Hudson, marketing director for Motionball. 91裸聊视频淭hey91裸聊视频檙e completely the same and they91裸聊视频檙e so talented, so it91裸聊视频檚 just good all around.91裸聊视频�

Hudson first joined Motionball as a team member several years ago, but after experiencing the event firsthand meeting like-minded people and playing for a good cause, she joined the team and has been the marketing director for the last 2 years.

91裸聊视频淭here was somebody last year who had epilepsy who always wanted to be a part of sports but always felt kind of left out and now being a part of Special Olympics makes her feel like she can achieve anything and she91裸聊视频檚 doing outstanding,91裸聊视频� Hudson said. 91裸聊视频淭his event is not only a lot of fun, but is also bringing young professionals and the next generation of philanthropists together with Special Olympic athletes and the movement and just showing what it means to give back.91裸聊视频�

Motionball in Kelowna has grown from 21 teams last year to 28 this year. According to Ungaro, donations have gone up between 35 and 40 per cent in the last year as awareness of the event increases.

Motionball plans to raise $100,000 for Special Olympic athletes and they are confident they will surpass their goal. Motionball has already raised $1.25 million this year nationwide. 100 per cent of the funds raised through Motionball Marathon of Sport will go towards expanding Special Olympics programming to increase accessibility to individuals who would benefit.

Over 6,000 supporters and Special Olympics athletes participate in 24 annual events across Canada from Vancouver to Halifax.

91裸聊视频淚f you haven91裸聊视频檛 heard of MotionBall, get involved,91裸聊视频� Ungaro said. 91裸聊视频淭he Special Olympians will change your life. We91裸聊视频檙e fortunate as young professionals and people without the disability, yet the athletes are happier and just kinder than us, so I think we have more to learn from them than they do for us.91裸聊视频�