John West Memorial Award

As a Special Olympics Southern California volunteer, Ticky Gorin, has helped raise more than $500,000 for the Orange County athletes. Yet, it's Ticky’s leadership, enthusiasm, and heart that has been her biggest contribution to Special Olympics. Gorin received the most outstanding volunteer of the year award at the 2010 Summer Games. More...

Volunteer

Special Olympics Southern California would not exist today without the energy and enthusiasm of its volunteers. The time commitment for volunteers varies from a few hours per year at specific events to working several hours a week year-round. Whatever your interests, talents, background and availability, there are volunteer opportunities for you.

We also offer internships to students throughout the year. Internships are available in marketing and communications, event planning and corporate sponsorships, sports management or human resources and volunteer management.

To volunteer, complete a volunteer interest form and send it to the contact listed.

 

Category	Description	Commitment	Contact
Coaching Sports Teams	Work directly with athletes to improve their skills in specific Special Olympics sports as a coach, assistant coach or sports volunteer	Commitment for team practice is seasonal for each sport, usually two hours per week for 8-20 weeks. Total commitment, including training, is 60 or more hours per season for coaches; 30 to 60 hours per season for assitant coaches; and 15 to 30 hours per season for sports volunteers.	Contact local program
Competitions	Perform short-term tasks at local competitive events (i.e., Regional Games) or championships (i.e., Summer Games)	Four to eight-hour shifts one or more days each year depending on interest, availability and competition schedule	Local Competitions: Contact local program Championships: Crystal Pauley volunteer@sosc.org Fax: 400.310.3138
Corporate Volunteers	We provide many opportunities for employee groups to volunteer - a great team-building activity	Usually a one-day commitment for a specific event	Contact local program
Event Planning & Management	Join a committee of volunteers and staff working together to plan and manage a sports competition or competition-related special event	Commitment begins four to six months in advance of event; specific hours vary by event and position	Contact local program
Fundraising	Plan and/or implement activities to raise financial and in-kind support	Commitment ranges from three to four hours for a single event to one year as a committee member	Kelly Pond kpond@sosc.org
Medical	Provide basic first aid at competitions	Four- to eight-hour shifts one or more days per year. Medical training and certification required.	volunteer@sosc.org
Office Support	Perform general office work and administrative tasks	Requires a minimum commitment of four hours per week	Contact local program
Public Relations	Prepare and/or convey information about Special Olympics Southern California to various media outlets or assist with copywriting projects	Commitment ranges from a few hours for one specific activity to a year-long commitment for various projects	Kim Pine kpine@sosc.org 562.354.2611