Iowa Community Care Foundation

06/05/2026

Keokuk Special Olympic Athletes! It's finally happening!

After months of planning, recruiting coaches, and building community support, we are excited to announce registration night for the new Keokuk Special Olympics team!

We can't wait to meet the athletes who will help shape this new chapter for Special Olympics in Keokuk and the surrounding area.

📅 June 10
⏰ 5:00–7:00 PM
📍 Hoerner YMCA

Athletes ages 8 and up are welcome to attend. Whether you're a youth athlete, high school student, or adult interested in Special Olympics, we invite you and your family to stop by, learn more, ask questions, and get registered.

This team is becoming a reality thanks to the support of community partners who believe every athlete deserves the opportunity to participate, compete, and belong. A special thank you to the Hoerner YMCA for partnering with us and providing a welcoming home as we launch this new community-based team.

Whether you're interested in track and field, bowling, basketball, or simply learning more about Special Olympics, we encourage athletes, families, caregivers, and supporters to join us.

The athletes in these photos once started where you are today. We hope you'll join us and create memories, friendships, and achievements of your own.

We are ready. The coaches are ready.

Now we can't wait to meet our athletes!

06/01/2026

Exciting Progress for Keokuk Special Olympics! 🎉

The Iowa Community Care Foundation (ICCF) is excited to welcome the leadership team that will help launch the new Keokuk Community Special Olympics program!

💙 Andrea Wheatley, accompanied by her porch goose, Freddy French Fry, has been lead by the Lord with a passion for serving individuals with special needs through both her work as a teacher and her volunteer efforts. Her love for Special Olympics began when her high school hosted the Special Olympics Spring district games and track meet. As Delegation Manager, she looks forward to welcoming athletes and coaches and helping grow the Keokuk Special Olympics program, including opportunities for all athletes.

💙 Debra Ridgway is a first-grade teacher, wife to Rob, and mother of 12 children. Inspired by her daughter Hope's positive experience as a Special Olympics athlete involved in bowling in high school where she had a wonderful experience. Debra is excited to coach, meet the athletes, as well as anyone who also wants to be involved to bring Special Olympics program to the Keokuk area and support local athletes and families.

💙 Shannon Tackes is a high school special education teacher, wife, and mother of four who is passionate about supporting students and building strong community connections. Shannon is dedicated to helping every student grow in confidence, independence, and success. Outside of teaching, she enjoys cooking, theatre, and working in her food truck with her family. She is excited to help bring Special Olympics opportunities to the Keokuk community and showcase the talents and determination of local athletes.

Please join us in welcoming Andrea, Debra, and Shannon as they work to build new opportunities for athletes in the Keokuk community. We are excited about the future of Special Olympics in Keokuk and look forward to sharing more updates as the program grows! 🏅

05/27/2026

05/26/2026

Success at the State Special Olympics doesn’t happen by chance—it comes from dedication, determination, and countless hours of practice. ICCF would like to recognize and congratulate the Ft. Madison Special Olympics team on their many accomplishments at the State Special Olympics competition in Ames. From impressive performances in track and field to competing in bicycling—a sport unique to their team among our local groups—these athletes represented their community with pride and determination.

Behind every athlete is a strong support system, and Ft. Madison’s team is a remarkable example of that. With nearly 35 athletes competing at the state level, it speaks volumes about the commitment and leadership of Head Coach Brad Benge, along with the many coaches, parents, families, and supporters who have dedicated years of time and encouragement to helping these athletes succeed.

The teamwork, dedication, and heart shown by this program is truly something to witness. Congratulations to the Ft. Madison team on an outstanding State Special Olympics season!

photos courtesy of Amy Schierbrock

05/26/2026

05/26/2026

What an incredible journey and experience for the Burlington Special Olympics team! Their recent trip to Ames for the State Special Olympics competition brought many reasons to celebrate, including numerous outstanding accomplishments including 1st and 2nd place finishes. These photos capture more than competition results — they reflect confidence, friendships, growth, and memories made along the way. With support from ICCF and assistance through a grant from Community Foundation of Des Moines Co. Iowa, an affiliate of Keokuk Area Community Foundation, athletes enjoyed snacks for the journey, a fun stop at the Blue Zoo Aquarium in Des Moines, and a meal at Hickory Park in Ames. The stop in Ames also provided a meaningful learning opportunity as athletes practiced ordering for themselves and managing a spending allowance before competition the following day. What better way to end the day but with ice cream. The joy, pride, and excitement seen in these photos remind us that these experiences create much more than medals — they create confidence and memories that last a lifetime. 💙🏅
photos courtesy of Coach Kelli Bonar

05/23/2026

Iowa Community Care Foundation would like to take this opportunity to congratulate the Central Lee Community School District Special Olympics team on an incredible first appearance at the State Special Olympics meet.

The smiles in the photos truly tell the story of what a meaningful and memorable day it was. Beyond the results, it was especially wonderful to see these athletes come together as a team—supporting one another, celebrating each other’s efforts, and building genuine camaraderie throughout the day. The joy, laughter, and even a few “bite-the-medal-to-make-sure-it’s-real” moments say just as much as the placings themselves.

Congratulations to all of the athletes and coaches on this first-year milestone team:

Winnie – 3rd place Softball Throw
Greyson – 2nd place Tennis Ball Throw (youngest competitor)
Kobe – 4th place in the 50M Dash and 2nd place in Softball Throw

A special thank-you to the coaches who made this experience possible: Coach Erin, Coach Kassidy, and Coach Cam.

Coach Cam has been an asset to the coaching team and will be missed as he heads to college in the fall. We wish him the best and hope he can be a part of the team when possible.

This being the team’s very first year makes these accomplishments even more meaningful, and it was exciting to see such strong teamwork, sportsmanship, and pride on display. We look forward to watching this Special Olympics team continue to grow this fall and participate in many more competitions throughout the year ahead.

A sincere thank-you as well to the Keokuk Area Community Foundation and Lee County Youth Service for their grant support and partnership in helping make this new team possible. Your investment helped turn this vision into a reality for these athletes and families.

Congratulations again to all on a fantastic State meet and an exciting beginning to what is sure to be a great program!

photo credit to Erin Benner, Kassidy Simmons & Gary Lightfoot

05/23/2026

Iowa Community Care Foundation was proud to send off our local Special Olympic teams heading to State in Ames with 60 backpack/cinch bags filled with snacks and drinks to help fuel their journey!

We hope the Burlington, Fort Madison, and Central Lee teams had an amazing time at State—competing, connecting, and celebrating all their hard work.

So proud to support these incredible athletes and the programs that make moments like this possible! 💙💛

05/20/2026

What a wonderful day at the ballpark! ⚾❤️

Approximately 90 veterans, residents from our small group homes for individuals with intellectual disabilities, and participants from our Day Habilitation program from across the state enjoyed an afternoon at the Iowa Cubs game as guests of Iowa Community Care Foundation (ICCF).

The day included an all-you-can-eat meal before the game, along with everyone proudly sporting their ICCF t-shirts. A special thank you goes to Community Care of Iowa staff Tina Streeper and Sara Brown, who stepped up and prepared all of the shirts in a very short amount of time. We are incredibly grateful for their willingness to take on such a big task and help make the day extra special.

For many, this was their very first visit to a ballpark. One participant shared that he had never seen baseball in "real life" before. Moments like that remind us how meaningful experiences like these truly are.

It was a beautiful day at the ballpark. excitement cheering for their team, reaching for a foul ball, visiting with friends as well hoping to catch a "flying" Iowa Cubs t shirt as it was shot into the stands. It was clear everyone was enjoying the beautiful afternoon creating memories together.

Thank you to everyone who helped make this special day possible, especially to all the staff for organizing and transporting the residents ⚾😊

04/27/2026