Special Olympics fundraiser set for Saturday
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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 17/08/2023 (921 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
It’s an annual and massive fundraising barbecue that had humble beginnings with the sale of a hotdog and a drink, started by a pair of Brandon grandparents who saw the benefits of Special Olympics within their own family and wanted to contribute.
Heather and Murray Manuliak got the idea to raise money for Special Olympics a little more than a decade ago, when they were in a Murray’s Bison Transport truck and trailer, just outside of Winnipeg.
“We were coming back from a trip down south,” Heather said. “And we see all these trucks coming around the Perimeter of Winnipeg. We found out it was for the world’s largest truck convoy, and we thought, ‘Oh, wow.’”
Grandparents Heather and Murray Manuliak with three of their four grandchildren who are Special Olympians — Marcus, Liam and Alic — at a fundraising barbecue at the Keystone Centre in 2018. (File)
Each year, for the past 15 years, the Manitoba Trucking Association has been the driving force behind the Truck Ride for Special Olympics. Semi-truck drivers who want to get involved pay a registration fee, raise money individually or in teams, and show their support for the special athletes with a ride around the Perimeter.
The next convoy is Sept. 9, with the starting point about 40 minutes southeast of downtown Winnipeg.
It was that big show of trucker support that she and her husband saw, Manuliak said, which also started their fundraising wheels turning.
Their first barbecue was in 2014 in the parking lot of the movie theatre in Brandon, at about the same time as the Manuliak’s three grandsons became involved in Special Olympics.
“With the boys being so involved, Murray and I figured out a way that we could give back. So, we did start with just hotdogs and drinks but then we just decided to add to it, saying to ourselves, ‘Let’s see what else we can add,’ and then it just grew and grew and grew,” Manuliak said while laughing.
So far, the couple has raised more than $50,000 for Manitoba’s Special Olympics, with the only cancellations in 2020 and 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“This year we’re having a full-fledged barbecue, adding pulled pork. We’ll have live entertainment, silent auction, a kids’ zone, Road Rebels car club show and shine, and the fire department and RCMP come down when they’re available. So we’ve got lots to do and see,” Manuliak said.
The concept of Special Olympics has been in the province since the 1970s. The Manitoba organization became official in 1988, which is dedicated to enriching the lives of Manitobans with intellectual disabilities through the transformative power of sport.
There are 190 athletes in Westman who take part in more than a dozen sports, including five- and 10-pin bowling, soccer, softball, golf, curling and rhythmic gymnastics.
This year, there are 58 athletes on Team Manitoba who will represent the province at the Special Olympics Canada Winter Games in Calgary from Feb. 27 to March 2, 2024.
The cost to send one athlete to Calgary is $2,000, putting the overall fundraising goal at $120,000 for the whole team, coaches and support staff.
Manuliak said it’s worth it to support the athletes, and added, she has seen “first-hand” the positive influence Special Olympics has had on her grandsons.
“It’s just amazing. And they’re taught everything from how to play the game, to how to present yourself. Before our grandsons were involved, they shut down and wouldn’t talk to anybody, and now they come out and talk with you, socialize and are showing a lot of growth in school,” Manuliak said.
Aside from raising money for Special Olympics and its athletes, Manuliak said she and her husband have another goal: making sure the message gets out that everyone is welcome and included.
“We’ve talked with a lot of families who didn’t even realize there is an organization like Special Olympics for their kids with special needs. And there are a lot of parents out there who have a hard time admitting that their children have a disability. So this is for the kids. They need to be involved with the community, and that’s exactly what Special Olympics does.”
The Manuliaks’ barbecue fundraiser is on Saturday at the Riverbank Discovery Centre from noon to 4 p.m., with all proceeds going to Special Olympics Manitoba.
» mmcdougall@brandonsun.com
» X: @enviromichele