Special Olympics begins push for volunteers

By ANNA SMITH Local Journalism Initiative on March 14, 2026.

asmith@medicinehatnews.com

The team behind the upcoming Special Olympics in Medicine Hat is making a push to gather volunteers for what may be the event of a lifetime for many athletes.

Games co-ordinator Hailey Gray says they are currently looking at approximately a third of the volunteers needed to make the games run smoothly, at 550 out of 1,500 on the roster.

“We’re getting there, but we’re still definitely recruiting for more volunteers,” said Gray.

She says if there is something a resident could imagine may need doing for the summer event, they likely still need volunteers willing to do it, from helping with sports, food service or logistics, to taking photos for social media.

Those interested are encouraged to visit socmedhat2026.ca/volunteers to sign up and get started on their training, which will be required of those involved to make sure they have the skills and tools needed to work with athletes who have intellectual or developmental disabilities.

As they go through the process to prepare someone for volunteering, including completing registration and an attestation form, those seeking to volunteer will complete a handful of online training courses, including Safe Sport Training and Special Olympics Learn Training, as well as role-specific training regarding the Medicine Hat Summer Games.

While anyone interested can register at any point leading up to the games, they are encouraged to register as soon as possible to start the process and to allow for organizers to begin ordering apparel and setting up shift schedules.

“This is a qualifier for the World Games in Santiago, Chile in 2027, so the athletes that are competing here, some of them will be qualifying for World Games,” said Gray. “It’s pretty awesome that we get to be part of their journey, and we get to help them make pretty awesome memories.”

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