History

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The first International Special Olympics Summer Games are held at Soldier Field in Chicago — a joint venture between the Kennedy Foundation and the Chicago Park District. The advisory committee to the Chicago Special Olympics includes Dr. William Freeberg, Southern Illinois University; Dr. Frank J. Hayden, Joseph P. Kennedy Jr. Foundation; Dr. Arthur Peavy; William McFetridge, Anne McGlone Burke and Stephen Kelly of the Chicago Park District; and Olympic decathlon champion Rafer Johnson. Eunice Kennedy Shriver is honorary chairman. Dr. Hayden was also executive director of the games.

In August of 1968, Special Olympics is officially incorporated.  Special Olympics New Hampshire’s history began at those first games in 1968.  A timeline of important milestones in New Hampshire’s history is outlined below:

1968

• Six young men, who were residents of Laconia State School, traveled with two Recreation Department staff members to Chicago to participate in the very first Special Olympics World Games

1970

• Mrs. Jean Tufts organizes the 1st Annual Special Olympics New Hampshire State Summer Games at Phillips Exeter Academy 
• New Hampshire attends the Special Olympics World Games in Chicago, Illinois

1972

• Special Olympics New Hampshire (SONH) is incorporated as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization
• The State Summer Games moves to Plymouth State College 
• New Hampshire attends the Special Olympics World Games in Los Angeles, California

1973

• The State Summer Games moves to Keene State College

1974

• The State Summer Games moves to Gill Stadium in Manchester

1975

• Fred Toll is hired as the first paid Executive Director of SONH. 
• New Hampshire attends the Special Olympics World Games in Mount Pleasant, Michigan

1976

• The State Summer Games moves to the University of New Hampshire
• Coca-Cola begins its partnership with SONH

1977

• The 1st Annual State Winter Games take place at Eastman in Grantham
• New Hampshire attends the Special Olympics World Games in Steamboat Springs, Colorado

1978

• The State Winter Games moves to Gunstock
• McDonald’s – the Napoli Group begins its partnership with SONH 

1979

• New Hampshire attends the Special Olympics World Games in Brockport, New York

1980

• The State Winter Games move to Bretton Woods

1981

• New Hampshire attends the Special Olympics World Games in Stowe, Vermont

1983

• The 1st Annual State Basketball Tournament takes place in Salem
• New Hampshire attends the Special Olympics World Games in Baton Rouge, Louisiana
• Tom O’Brien is hired as SONH’s first full-time program staff person
• SONH has its first office on Union Avenue in Laconia

1985

• Chief Stan Stevens (ret.) of Wolfeboro brings the idea of the Law Enforcement Torch Run to New Hampshire
• New Hampshire attends the Special Olympics World Games in Park City, Utah

1986

• SONH moves its office to Concord
• Mike Quinn is hired as SONH’s second Executive Director
• Associated Grocers (IGA/Wetterau/SuperValu) begins its partnership with SONH

1987

• New Hampshire attends the Special Olympics World Games in South Bend, Indiana

1989

• SONH offers Unified Sports® where people with and without intellectual disabilities compete together as teammates 
• New Hampshire attends the Special Olympics World Games in Lake Tahoe, Nevada
• Marshall Tent and Event Rental begins its partnership with SONH

1991

• New Hampshire attends the Special Olympics World Games in Minneapolis & St. Paul, Minnesota

1992

• The 1st Annual State Fall Games take place as St Paul’s School in Concord

1993

• SONH moves its office to Manchester
• New Hampshire attends the Special Olympics World Games in Salzburg & Schladming, Austria

1995

• The State Winter Games move to Waterville Valley
• New Hampshire attends the Special Olympics World Games in New Haven, Connecticut

1996

• The Athlete Leadership Program is introduced
• Special Olympics receives the Walter J Dunphy Excellence in Management Award

1997

• Fleet Bank begins the M&M Fundraiser
• New Hampshire attends the Special Olympics World Games in Toronto, Canada

1998

• SONH Athlete Robert Plant becomes the 1st athlete to be certified as a sport official (golf) by the sport’s National Governing Body (USGA)
• Scott Sargent becomes the 1st athlete elected to the SONH Board of Director’s

1999

• Circle K (Irving Oil) begins Fueling Dreams promotion 
• New Hampshire attends the Special Olympics World Games in Raleigh, North Carolina

2000

• The 1st Annual Penguin Plunge takes place at Hampton Beach

2001

• New Hampshire attends the Special Olympics World Games in Anchorage, Alaska

2002

• The Law Enforcement Torch Run exceeds $1 million cumulative dollars raised
• The 1st New Hampshire Association of Chiefs of Police Golf Tournament takes place

2003

• Healthy Athletes screenings are offered for the first time at Summer Games
• New Hampshire attends the Special Olympics World Games in Dublin, Ireland

2005

• The Penguin Plunge exceeds $1 million cumulative dollars raised 
• New Hampshire attends the Special Olympics World Games in Nagano, Japan

2006

• Team NH attends Special Olympics USA Games in Iowa

2007

• New Hampshire attends the Special Olympics World Games in Shanghai, China

2008

• Unified Champion Schools (formerly Project UNIFY) begins in New Hampshire
• Young Athletes® programming is offered in New Hampshire

2009

• The 1st Winni Dip takes place at Lake Winnipesaukee 
• The 1st High School Plunge takes place at Hampton Beach
• Mary Conroy is hired as SONH’s third Executive Director
• New Hampshire attends the Special Olympics World Games in Boise, Idaho

2010

• NH Interscholastic Athletic Association and SONH offer 1st Unified Sports Event for sanctioned schools 
• Team NH attends Special Olympics USA Games in Nebraska
• New Hampshire attends the Athlete Global Congress in Morocco

2011

• New Hampshire attends the Special Olympics World Games in Athens, Greece

2013

• The 1st Cool School Dip takes place at Lake Winnipesaukee
• New Hampshire attends the Special Olympics World Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea

2014

• Team NH attends Special Olympics USA Games in New Jersey
• New Hampshire athlete Pam Langille is selected to serve a four-year term as a Sargent Shriver International Global Messenger

2015

• The 1st Prep School Plunge takes place at Lake Winnipesaukee 
• New Hampshire attends the Special Olympics World Games in Los Angeles, CA

2016

• The High School Plunge exceeds $1 million cumulative dollars raised 

2017

• The Law Enforcement Torch Run exceeds $5 million cumulative dollars raised 
• New Hampshire attends the Special Olympics World Games in Graz & Schladming, Austria

2018

• Team NH attends USA Games in Seattle, WA

2019

• New Hampshire attends the Special Olympics World Games in Abu Dhabi, UAE

2020 (March)

• In-person events suspended due to world-wide COVID-19 pandemic

2022

• Team NH attends USA Games in Orlando, FL

2023

• Winter Water Sports fundraisers raises $1 million
• Special Olympics New Hampshire returns to regular state competition schedule following world-wide COVID-19 pandemic
• New Hampshire attends the Special Olympics World Games in Berlin, Germany
• The first annual Hero’s Cup, Bravest Vs Finest baseball fundraiser is held at Delta Dental Stadium in Manchester
• The first annual Champion’s Together Breakfast is held at the DoubleTree in Manchester

2024

• 2024-2026 Strategic Plan is launched with heavy focus on expanding our reach, enhancing what we do, and engaging our SONH family
• Penguin Plunge fundraiser raises $1 million
• 40^th Anniversary of the Law Enforcement Torch Run in New Hampshire
• The Special Olympics New Hampshire Athlete Leadership Council is formed
• The first annual Special Olympics Cornhole Classic fundraiser is held at the DoubleTree in Manchester

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