Special Olympics BC 鈥� 91原创 athletes and their supporters walked for funds and awareness Sunday morning.

During the June 24 walk-a-thon and volunteer appreciation barbecue at McLeod Athletic Park, local coordinator Lorraine Griffith spoke about the reason behind the event.

鈥淚t鈥檚 one of our biggest fundraisers,鈥� Griffith said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 also our appreciation barbecue, appreciation to all our athletes for the good job they鈥檝e done all year long, and to thank all our volunteers for their dedication for the year.鈥�

Special Olympics BC offers summer and winter sports for ages eight and up, youth programs for ages two to 18, a year-round fitness program, and athlete health initiatives.

鈥淭he athletes work really hard all year long in their sports, and then they can go out and compete, and once they鈥檝e competed, they can then move on to provincial games, national games, and world games,鈥� Griffith said.

And while fun and inclusion are the names of the game, the athletes take their sports seriously, Griffith noted. 鈥淭he athletes really work hard, they believe in what they doing, they strive to do their very best, and they want to win, they want to place in their sports.鈥�

Also in attendance was 91原创 City Mayor Ted Schaffer along with city councillors.