Photo: Motionball Kelowna

Motionball Kelowna raised over $151,000 for Special Olympic athletes this year at the annual Marathon of Sport fundraiser.

The national non-profit organization raises money and awareness for the Special Olympics through inclusive social and sporting events that empower young Canadians to be leaders in their communities, and they did it again in Kelowna over the weekend.

Hundreds of volunteers and Special Olympic athletes from around the Okanagan got together at City Park in downtown Kelowna on Saturday, Sept. 23, for a day of competitive play.

Four-hundred participants and 53 Special Olympic athletes took part, "all in an effort to bring the community together and to raise awareness and financial support for the Special Olympics,” said event director Jamie Carpenter.

“It was a ton of fun. When the athletes arrived on-field, smiling, waving, and making a grand entrance, it was incredible.”

Participants played a variety of sports, including flag football, bocce ball, California kickball, bench ball and handball.

“Considering we pivoted our fundraising efforts due to the wildfire season, the total is still pretty amazing for our local community. It was a blast. We laughed, we played sports and it was a huge success.” added Carpenter.