Area 24 Special Olympics

11/08/2026

Our fabulous Unified Bowlers and their medals from today!

11/08/2026

We are underway here at our Unified Bowling tournament! The bowlers and their partners are warming up for a great afternoon of friendly competition.

11/07/2026

Area 24 athletes and families—in an effort to continue to be good stewards of the donation dollars we receive and also to reduce our environmental impacts, we are moving toward replacing our quarterly paper newsletter with an email copy. Please see below for the most current edition and please forward any updates to your email address to Susan Hall at [email protected].

11/07/2026

Our very own Athlete Leader, Bailee Gerych, represented Area 24 at this year’s Law Enforcement Torch Run International conference, held this year in Grand Rapids. Check out these pictures of Bailee with our local LETR volunteer Marshall Law and along the run route as well as some cool coin swag awarded to Bailee at the event!

11/07/2026

Unified bowlers—here’s a copy of the letter your coaches handed out about tomorrow’s tournament. To our wider Area 24 community: this event is for Unified bowling teams only, but spectators are welcome to come and cheer on teams from behind the bowling area.

11/07/2026

Edited update: tomorrow’s bowling event is at 1 pm, not noon.

11/01/2026

November is caregiver recognition month and we want to recognize those who care for and advocate for those with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Caregiving is a journey that doesn't end. It's a lifelong commitment and often filled with challenges, love, and continued advocacy. Caregiving evolves but never lessens. While the needs of those we care for continue to grow, so do caregivers’ as they age. For parents of children/adults with IDD, the journey is unique and often beautifully described by the poem "Welcome to Holland,” linked in the comments. It reminds us of the unexpected blessings even in the midst of challenges. To all caregivers: Thank you for your dedication and love.

10/16/2026

It’s impossible to fully express our gratitude for the incredible volunteers and coaches who lead, teach, and give to our athletes and their families. Tonight we got to honor with our Special Olympics Michigan family our very own Outstanding Area Volunteer of the Year, Cliff Shilander, and our Outstanding Area Coach of the Year, David Gerych. Thank you, Cliff and David, for all you do for the athletes of Area 24.

10/09/2026

Ludington Unified Bowling team: reminder from Coach Gary—the next bowling practice is on Sunday, October 25, at noon at Stix. This is not open bowling but practice for those on the team. See you there!

10/04/2026

October is Down Syndrome awareness month. The lucky few tattoo is a minimalist symbol of three upward pointing arrows used to raise awareness and celebrate individuals with Down Syndrome. Many mothers with sons/daughters with Down Syndrome get this tattoo to symbolize rising up, moving forward and the idea that an arrow must be pulled back and stretched before it can shoot forward. The three arrows represent the three 21st chromosomes (trisomy 21) that causes Down Syndrome. Colors for Down Syndrome awareness are blue and yellow. Blue stands for trust, acceptance and inclusion. Yellow stands for happiness, hope and positivity. Let’s shine a light on the ablilities of those with Down Syndrome.

💙💛 October is Down Syndrome Awareness Month 💛💙

One symbol often associated with Down syndrome awareness is the "Lucky Few" tattoo, represented by three upward-pointing arrows. The arrows symbolize rising up, moving forward, and overcoming challenges. They also represent the three copies of the 21st chromosome, known as Trisomy 21, which causes Down syndrome.

Our own Cindy Boerema, a WMCMH Consumer Advisory Panel member, WMCMH Board member, and proud mother of Erik, who is 47 and has Down syndrome, wears the Lucky Few tattoo as a reminder of the strength, resilience, and joy that individuals with Down syndrome bring to the world.

The colors of Down Syndrome awareness, blue and yellow, carry special meaning: 💙 Blue represents trust, acceptance, and inclusion. 💛 Yellow represents happiness, hope, and positivity. This October, let's shine a light on the abilities, talents, and achievements of people with Down syndrome and continue building communities where everyone is valued, included, and empowered to thrive.

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