Special Olympics Colorado and RiseUP: Moving for Inclusion Across Colorado
Being part of a team can mean more than wearing the same uniform. It can mean having a role, being heard, and knowing that your contribution matters. Those are values we are celebrating with Special Olympics Colorado through the September 2026 RiseUP Elevation Challenge.
This partnership connects the energy of sport with a broader invitation to participate in community life. Whether your own goal takes you along a neighborhood route or up a favorite trail, your fundraising can help introduce others to the importance of inclusion.
A partner that brings people together through sport
Special Olympics Colorado offers year-round sports training and competition for children and adults with intellectual disabilities. Its work extends beyond an individual competition to opportunities for friendship, participation, and leadership.
Through Unified Sports participation, teammates with and without intellectual disabilities train and compete together. The organization’s Athlete Leadership programs also create ways for athletes to contribute beyond the playing field.
That is a useful reminder for any fundraiser: people are not simply recipients of support. They are teammates, leaders, coworkers, neighbors, and contributors with their own goals.
Inclusion beyond the playing field
At RiseUP, we want everyday community life to offer meaningful choices, too. Our Adult Day Programs in Denver and Colorado Springs include community connection and skill-building opportunities. Our Supported Employment program helps people explore work that aligns with their interests and strengths.
The link between these efforts is not that sports and adult services are interchangeable. It is that participation should not be confined to a single setting. A person can want connection in recreation, purpose at work, and opportunities to learn throughout the week.
Our Elevation Challenge collaboration gives supporters a way to explore both organizations’ missions while raising support through a shared campaign. It does not replace Special Olympics Colorado’s own athlete registration or RiseUP’s service-intake process.
Set a September goal with a bigger purpose
The RiseUP Elevation Challenge runs throughout September, with a campaign goal of 5,000 feet of elevation or 15 miles of distance. Walk, hike, run, climb, stroll, or roll in keeping with the challenge guidelines and your own circumstances.
When you register, select Special Olympics Colorado from the participating nonprofit options. Half of the proceeds raised through your participant fundraising page support the nonprofit you choose.
Friends and supporters do not need to complete the same route or move at the same pace to encourage one another. A team can share a purpose while each person works toward an appropriate goal.
Make your team invitation about belonging
Invite teammates, relatives, colleagues, or neighbors to explain why inclusion matters to them. A short personal message is often more useful than repeating a slogan: name the community you care about, explain your September goal, and offer a clear way to help.
A workplace team could share a weekly progress update and introduce both partner organizations. A family could encourage friends to donate or pass along the fundraiser. These are ideas for supporters to adapt, not requirements to participate.
Our fundraising and outreach tips offer a starting point for asking, thanking, and following up without overwhelming your network.
There is more than one way to show up
You can donate to a participant, share a fundraiser, or learn about becoming involved with Special Olympics Colorado beyond this campaign. No movement goal is required to offer encouragement or financial support.
Explore the Elevation Challenge and learn more about Special Olympics Colorado. Let your September goal be an invitation to a Colorado where more people can participate as valued members of the team.
