Every week, Santa Monica Next reposts one story from City Manager Oliver Chi’s weekly newsletter.
This upcoming Saturday, October 3, our Recreation Division will be hosting the 8th Annual Westside Special Olympics Soccer Tournament at Airport Park, where twelve teams and more than 125 Special Olympics athletes from across Los Angeles and Orange Counties will compete! Opening Ceremonies begin at 9 a.m., and the competition will run from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. – the event is also free and open to the public, and we hope that you find time to come out and cheer!
One of the hidden gems about Santa Monica is our long history of supporting Special Olympic athletes with intellectual disabilities. That local priority began in the spring of 1976, when Olympic decathlon champion Rafer Johnson and Santa Monica College professor Jo Kidd worked collaboratively with the City’s recreation team to start the first Special Olympics program on the Westside. The initial program began with weekly track and field training at SMC and a first Westside Special Olympics track meet.
Later, Rafer Johnson went on to light the Olympic cauldron at the 1984 Los Angeles Games, and he led Special Olympics Southern California for decades. The program he helped start is one that the City has participated in and helped to run continuously for the past 50 years, and with Los Angeles preparing to host the Games again in 2028, this uniquely Santa Monica effort is one that is definitely worth celebrating.
This year, we also want to recognize Principal Community Services Supervisor Danny Price, who has for decades served the City and, in particular, the Westside Special Olympics. Danny has been a champion of the program and its athletes for a very long time, and his efforts have helped to shape and grow this tremendous event.
Many thanks to Danny and the entire City recreation team, and we do hope to see everyone at Airport Park on Saturday to cheer our athletes on!
Saturday, October 3 @ Airport Park
Opening Ceremonies: 9 a.m.
Competition: 10 a.m.–3 p.m.
