Get active and give back with UBCO’s third annual Marathon of Sport event

This Saturday marks the third annual Marathon of Sport Fundraiser, proudly run by students at UBCO.

The student-led initiative is working hard to raise funds and awareness for the Special Olympics Canada Foundation. This year approximately 150 UBCO students are expected to participate alongside local Special Olympics athletes.

The ambitious goal of the UBCO Chapter is to raise $15k to support Special Olympics programs in our community, and they're already well on their way to reaching their goal!

UBCO's Marathon of Sport event is part of the motionball University program, which provides Canadian students with a new and engaging way to give back while developing invaluable leadership skills. Running at over 35 university campuses coast to coast, the motionball University program is engaging more young people in the Special Olympics movement than ever before.

“It’s a great method of succession,” explains Derek Fuhr, Volunteer Event Director for motionball Kelowna.

“These students get involved at university, and after they graduate they become a part of our local motionball Chapter.”

Despite being unable to attend the event this Saturday due to a cold, Fuhr sees this as a great opportunity for Maddy Laranjo, the student event co-director, to step up and take charge of the event, demonstrating the path from a student leader to a community leader.

The event is taking place this Saturday from 10 am to 3 pm and registration is still open. If you would like to participate in this charitable event, you can find more information on how to register here.

For those wanting to help but prefer not to participate in the sports activities, a fun after-party will be held at Kelowna Brewing Company from 3 - 6:30 pm. If you would like to attend, tickets can be purchased for $20 in cash at the door, or you can show proof of a $20 online donation to motionball UBCO. The ticket includes a burger and beer, with half of all proceeds going towards motionball's fundraising efforts.

This event hopes to unite young adults and Special Olympics athletes from their communities in a day of fun-filled athletic competition while fostering lasting friendships between volunteers and athletes.