Exciting news! As of July 2024, Special Olympics Washington has a new Volunteer Portal and registration for several Winter Season events is now open! This portal is your one-stop shop for finding and applying for volunteer opportunities.
Getting To The New Portal
- Step 1: Visit https://portals.specialolympics.org
- Step 2: Click “Create an account” which will walk you through profile creation
- Note: Your email activation code will be sent from “Microsoft on behalf of Special Olympics B2C Production.” Please be sure to check your spam folder as well.
- Step 3: Enter the Volunteer Portal homepage
Resources
- FAQs | Create an Account | Register as an Individual | Register a Group | Group FAQs
- Find more tips and tricks on navigating the portal below!
New Portal Tips and Tricks
- Want to register for an event? Find and register for event volunteer opportunities (fall season events are live!) by clicking on Sign Up for An Event
- Looking for an event in your area or at a specific time? “Show More Filters” and search by zip code OR enter a Date Range (example: 9/1-12/1)
- Are you a volunteer between the ages of 11-13? Please have a parent or guardian apply for the Event Volunteer Group Lead role prior to registering for a shift.
- Interested in getting a group together? For folks who want to volunteer together, please select a person from your group to apply for the Event Volunteer Group Lead role which will allow you to manage your group’s registrations.
- Interested in other volunteer roles? Apply for other volunteer roles (like coaching, etc.) under Do More with Special Olympics (find more specifics of when and where under Sign Up for An Event)
- Have other skills and talents you’d like to share? Let us know about your interests, skills, and talents under My Checklist > Add Your Skills so program staff can help match you
Winter Season 2025 – Registration is Open!
Volunteer registration is now open for our Winter Season competitions and our State Winter Games in Wenatchee. Registration for our Polar Plunge event series will be coming soon.
If you’re a medical professional or student, we’re in particular need of health-focused volunteers for our free Healthy Athletes screenings on Saturday, January 25.
Thank you for supporting our athletes and Unified partners this Winter season!
- Sunday, January 19: King County Basketball Divisioning Play; Shoreline. REGISTRATION IS ALMOST FULL!
- Saturday, January 25: NW/King County Basketball Subregional; Auburn. REGISTER HERE
- Saturday, January 25: NW/Cascade Basketball Subregional & Healthy Athletes; Marysville. REGISTER HERE **Health professionals and medical/nursing students needed for Healthy Athletes screenings**
- Saturday, January 25: SW Basketball Subregional; Bremerton. REGISTER HERE
- Saturday, February 1: SW Basketball Subregional; Lakewood (4 sites). REGISTER HERE
- Sunday, February 2: East Basketball Regional; Sunnyside. REGISTER HERE
- Saturday, February 8: NW/King County Basketball Regional; North Seattle. REGISTER HERE
- Saturday, February 8: Unified Basketball, Districts 1 & 2; Bellevue. REGISTER HERE
- Saturday, February 8: Unified Basketball, District 3; Tacoma. REGISTER HERE
- Saturday, February 8: Unified Basketball, District 4; Vancouver. REGISTER HERE
- Saturday, February 8: NW/Cascade Basketball Regional; Marysville. REGISTER HERE
- Saturday, February 8: East Basketball Regional; Pullman. REGISTER HERE
- Saturday, February 8: SW Basketball Regional; Bremerton. REGISTER HERE
- Saturday, February 8: SW Basketball Regional; Lakewood (4 sites). REGISTER HERE
- Sunday, February 16: Westside Alpine/Snowboarding Regional; Summit at Snoqualmie. REGISTER HERE
- Saturday, February 22: Polar Plunge; Wenatchee. Registration link coming soon
- February 28 – March 2: State Winter Games; Wenatchee area. REGISTER HERE
- Saturday, March 8: Polar Plunge; Seattle. Registration link coming soon
- Saturday, March 15: Polar Plunge; Anacortes. Registration link coming soon
- Saturday, March 22: Polar Plunge; Tri-Cities. Registration link coming soon
Prep Work / Office Support Volunteers
Do you have daytime/weekday availability? During the season, our staff often find themselves needing an extra set of hands or two to prep for a competition or special event. This could mean assembling coaches’ packets, organizing medals and ribbons, and other tasks that can free up the staff person to make other final preparations. The shifts are primarily 1:00-4:00 p.m. on Friday afternoons but there are a few exceptions. Register HERE for any of the following 2025 dates:
- January: 16, 24, 31
- February: 6, 7, 14, 20, 21, 24, 25, 26
First Aid Volunteers Needed
Volunteering for medical support missions is both a noble and rewarding endeavor, providing a unique opportunity to serve the community while gaining invaluable experience. Medically qualified volunteers are essential for ensuring the health and safety of all participants by delivering sideline first aid and medical response during our competitions. Accommodations, such as hotel stays and travel per diem, may be available for those volunteering at out-of-town venues. Your participation will not only be deeply appreciated but will also significantly contribute to the success of these community events.
Special Olympics is required to verify healthcare providers’ credentials and conduct a background suitability inquiry for all medical volunteers. Completion of this process is necessary before receiving a Games credential and being granted access to any of our venues. To start the credentialing process to become a First Aid Volunteer at any of the upcoming competitions this winter or spring, CLICK HERE. Please allow at least five days before an event for credentialing.
This winter season, multiple events are scheduled across various venues, making it crucial to have a strong corps of medically qualified volunteers available. If you know any individuals or groups who qualify and might be interested in volunteering, please share this request with them. For more information, email volunteer@sowa.org.
Save the Dates: Spring Season 2025
Many of our largest competitions take place during Spring Season and planning for several of these events has already begun. While the finer details haven’t been ironed out, many of the dates and venues have. Please feel free to mark your calendars and we’ll let you know when we’re ready to open up volunteer registration.
- April 19: NW Regional Swimming; Federal Way.
- April 20: SW Regional Swimming; Federal Way.
- April 26: NW Regional Athletics (Track & Field); South Seattle.
- April 27: SW Regional Athletics (Track & Field); possibly Tacoma.
- April 27: SW Regional Soccer; possibly Tacoma.
- May 3: NW Regional Softball & Bocce; Everett.
- May 10: NW Regional Soccer/Unified Soccer, Districts 1 & 2; Shoreline.
- May 10: Unified Soccer, District 3; possibly Puyallup.
- May 10: Unified Soccer, District 4; Washougal.
- May 31: Unified Soccer, State Championship; Puyallup.
- June 20-22: State Spring Games; Federal Way and Tacoma.
- TBD: East Regional Athletics & Swimming; Cheney
- TBD: East Regional Soccer
- TBD: East Regional Softball & Bocce
- TBD: SW Regional Softball & Bocce
Contact Us
Do you have a question regarding volunteering? Or do you wish to be added to our weekly volunteer recruitment email list? Please contact the Volunteer Team at volunteer@sowa.org. Thank you for your interest in supporting our athletes!