This partnership is part of a three-year grant supporting expanded access across 13 Northeastern Pennsylvania counties

(September 16, 2026) – Special Olympics Pennsylvania (SOPA) received a $1 million check from the AllOne Foundation as part of a three-year partnership to expand inclusive sports and health programming across central and northeastern Pennsylvania. The check presentation was followed by a Unified bocce experience that brought together SOPA athletes, board members and AllOne representatives for a friendly competition celebrating the partnership.

The check presentation marked the three-year, $1 million grant partnership announced in June. The investment was designed to expand access to sports and health programming and reduce barriers to participation for people with intellectual disabilities in 13 rural counties across central and northeastern Pennsylvania.

Approximately 390,000 Pennsylvanians live with an intellectual disability, and many face limited access to opportunities that support physical activity, health and community connection. These barriers contributed to significant health disparities, including higher rates of obesity, cardiovascular disease, asthma and diabetes, as well as a life expectancy 20 years shorter than that of people without intellectual disabilities. Through free sports, health and leadership programs, Special Olympics Pennsylvania is working to address these disparities by expanding opportunities, strengthening social connections and building more inclusive communities for people with intellectual disabilities

“We are tremendously proud to be receiving this grant – the largest our organization has ever received – as it will help us double our impact in areas where people with intellectual disabilities face a lot of barriers for participation, “said Nate Garland, Special Olympics Pennsylvania, Interim CEO. “There is a lot of synergy between where we want to grow as an organization and the counties that the AllOne Foundation serves. We currently only have a 2% penetration rate – which means for every one athlete we currently serving in those 13 counties there are still 49 on the sidelines waiting to get access to our free sports, health and leadership programming.”

At the time of the announcement, Special Olympics Pennsylvania served more than 15,000 athletes statewide through programs that included:

Young Athletes: Fun, play-based activities introduced children ages 2–7 with intellectual disabilities to sports while helping them develop fundamental motor skills, social skills and confidence.

Unified Champion Schools (UCS): The program empowered more than 500 schools statewide to build communities where students with and without disabilities competed together and felt welcome, included and accepted.

Community Programming: Free training and competition in more than 20 sports, along with health screenings, leadership development and additional opportunities.

Over the three-year partnership, support from the AllOne Foundation was expected to help SOPA:

• Double athlete participation, increasing the number of athletes served from 1,100 to 2,500.
• Increase the number of schools engaged in the Unified Champion Schools program from 48 to 200.
• Expand health and fitness programming in schools and communities across Bradford, Carbon, Clinton, Lackawanna, Luzerne, Lycoming, Monroe, Pike, Sullivan, Susquehanna, Tioga, Wayne and Wyoming counties.

The partnership also positioned SOPA to bring high-profile competition events to northeastern Pennsylvania for the first time, creating additional opportunities for local athletes to compete while increasing community visibility and attracting new sponsors and volunteers. SOPA hosted more than six statewide competitions each year in communities across Pennsylvania.

“Everyone at AllOne Foundation is highly gratified to share in this significant partnership with Special Olympics of Pennsylvania,” said John Moses, Esq. Founding Chairman of AllOne.  Together, our work significantly impacts the communities we strive to serve by fostering inclusion, reducing social isolation for our families, friends, and neighbors with intellectual disabilities (ID), and promoting healthy lives through sports, leadership programs, and special social connection.”

With support from the AllOne Foundation, Special Olympics Pennsylvania expected to reach more athletes by bringing inclusive sports, health and leadership opportunities to communities that had too often been left behind. Thousands of people with intellectual disabilities in the 13-county region still lacked access to these opportunities, and the investment represented an important step toward changing that. Individuals and families interested in participating as athletes, Unified partners, coaches or volunteers could visit SpecialOlympicsPA.org to find local programs and upcoming events.

About Special Olympics Pennsylvania

Founded in 1970, Special Olympics Pennsylvania is part of a global movement to end discrimination against people with intellectual disabilities. We foster acceptance of all people through the power of sport and programming in education, health, and leadership. With more than 15,000 athletes and Unified Sports partners statewide and more than 16,000 coaches and volunteers, Special Olympics Pennsylvania delivers more than 20 Olympic-type sports and over 1000 competitions every year. Engage with us on: Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok and Twitter. Learn more at SpecialOlympicsPA.org.