Reminder! As of July 2024, Special Olympics Washington has a new Volunteer Portal. Create your account today and register for our Spring Season events! This portal is your one-stop shop for finding and applying for volunteer opportunities.
Please note that registering to volunteer is a two-step process. If you do not create an account in our Volunteer Portal, you will only be able view the schedule of available volunteer roles/shifts by clicking the registration links. To properly register for a volunteer role you must:
- Create a profile/or log-in if returning.
- Register for your desired event/role/shift by using the registration link.
More information can be found near the bottom of the page.
Spring Season 2025 – Registration now open!
Many of our largest competitions take place during Spring Season and we’ll need over 2,000 volunteers statewide, just for Regional competitions! We also hope you’re able to join us at State Spring Games, where we will need over 3,000 volunteers! The volunteer roles and shifts posted in the events below may be adjusted as we get closer to the event and have a better idea on athlete counts – thank you in advance for your flexibility. Remember, the links below will only take you to the schedule of shifts, you’ll need to go to the portal first and then register.
- April 19: NW & SW Regions – Swimming; Federal Way. SHIFT SCHEDULE HERE
- April 26: NW Region – Athletics (Track & Field); South Seattle. SHIFT SCHEDULE HERE
- April 27: SW Region – Athletics (Track & Field); Tacoma. SHIFT SCHEDULE HERE
- April 27: SW Region – Soccer; Tacoma. SHIFT SCHEDULE HERE
- May 3: NW Region – Bocce; Everett. SHIFT SCHEDULE HERE
- May 3: East Region – Soccer; Othello. SHIFT SCHEDULE HERE
- May 4: NW & SW Regions – Softball; Tacoma. SHIFT SCHEDULE HERE
- May 4: SW Regional Bocce; Tacoma. SHIFT SCHEDULE HERE
- May 10: East Region – Swimming; Cheney. SHIFT SCHEDULE HERE
- May 10: Healthy Athletes / Special Smiles; Shoreline. SHIFT SCHEDULE HERE
- May 10: NW Regional Soccer/Unified Soccer, Districts 1 & 2; Shoreline. SHIFT SCHEDULE HERE
- May 10: Unified Soccer, District 3; Puyallup. SHIFT SCHEDULE HERE
- May 10: Unified Soccer, District 4; Washougal. SHIFT SCHEDULE HERE
- May 17: East Region – Softball; Tri-Cities. SHIFT SCHEDULE HERE
- May 17: East Region – Bocce; Tri-Cities. SHIFT SCHEDULE HERE
- May 18: East Region – Golf; Cheney. SHIFT SCHEDULE HERE
- May 18: NW & SW Regions – Golf; Tacoma. SHIFT SCHEDULE HERE
- May 31: Unified Soccer, State Championship; Puyallup. SHIFT SCHEDULE HERE
- June 20-22: State Spring Games; Federal Way and Tacoma. SHIFT SCHEDULE HERE
- As details and schedules are finalized, they’ll be added to the registration portal so keep checking back if you don’t see what you’re looking for!
- New location from last year! The University of Puget Sound (Tacoma) will serve as our main campus. Swimming will still be held in Federal Way at the King County Aquatic Center.
Getting To The 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!
Portal Tips and Tricks
- Want to register for an event? Find and register for event volunteer opportunities by clicking on Sign Up for An Event, shown on your Volunteer Zone/landing page of your profile.
- 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). Or simply “Sort by” date to view in chronological order.
- 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. Please refer to Register a Group for step-by-step instructions.
- 2 or more persons in your “group”? If you share an email, you’ll need to Register a Group. If you’re a small group (less than 10) with separate emails, it may be easier to register separately. Otherwise, designate a Group Lead and follow the instructions in Register a Group.
- Do you have a large group (10+ persons)? Feel free to reach out to volunteer@sowa.org to help find the perfect fit for your group. Larger groups also have a few other options in how they register.
- 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
- Still having trouble? Please don’t hesitate to reach out to volunteer@sowa.org and let us know how we can help!
First Aid / Medical Volunteers Needed!
Are you a current health care provider or certified in First Aid / CPR / AED? Or do you know someone who is? Volunteers with at least these qualifications are needed to provide sideline support at our upcoming regional competitions across Washington, and the State Spring Games in June. Not only do we have a lot of events taking place the Spring, but several of the sports being contested are prone to higher incidents of injuries and heat-related issues. This means several volunteers will be needed for each event.
Persons wishing to be a First Aid/Medical Volunteer, you will need to complete the credentialing process by clicking: EMG Credential Verification Application. They will work with you to schedule you for an event and provide training as needed. A small stipend may be available should you be available to travel to cover an event outside of your general area of residence.
Healthy Athlete Volunteers Needed!
Special Olympics Washington will be providing free screenings in various health disciplines for our athletes at select upcoming events. Volunteers with current medical credentials in dentistry, optometry, and physical therapy will be needed at the following events:
- Saturday, May 10 – Special Smiles at Ingraham High School, Shoreline
- Saturday, June 21 – Special Smiles, Opening Eyes, FUNfitness at the University of Puget Sound, Tacoma (State Spring Games)
Physician Equivalent Volunteers, Clinical Volunteers, and Clinical Student Volunteers in the above health disciplines are needed. General Volunteers to assist with check-in and re-stocking of supplies will also be needed. Please help us to recruit these volunteers by telling your own medical team or friends and family members in the health care industry about the opportunities.
Registration for the May 10th dental screenings is open and found in the links above. Registration for Healthy Athletes at State Spring Games will be posted soon.
Office Prep Volunteers needed
Do you have weekday/daytime availability? Prior to competitions, our staff frequently need extra support with the behind-the-scenes preparations. Duties may include photocopying, assembling coaches packets, labeling athlete bibs, taking inventory of medals/ribbons, etc. Unless noted otherwise, shifts are 1:00 – 4:00pm at our downtown Seattle office (near the Space Needle). When registering to volunteer for this role, you’ll need to “Do More” and add the Admin Volunteer role to your profile. Look for the Office Prep – Spring Season link in the list of options in the portal.
- April – 18, 21, 22, and 24
- May – 1, 2, 9, 15, and 16
- June – 16, 17, and18
Also available in June – we’d love some additional help with loading the truck for State Spring Games (10am-1pm, June 18) as well as unloading the truck afterwards (10am-1pm, June 23). The ability to lift at least 25 pounds is required.
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!