Volunteer Highlight: Dave Parkinson
From track meets, to fundraising golf tournaments, to bowling tournaments, to most recently our 2023 Provincial Winter Games – Dave Parkinson has been there for it all. Athletes, coaches, families, staff – they all know him. His passion and dedication to our athletes is inspiring!
Originally exposed to our organization through his volunteer work with the Kinsmen Club of Winnipeg, he had no idea that his volunteering journey would last over 17 years.
“My first volunteer experience was at a Kinsmen Track and Field meet. I’d been asked to work a security position guarding the volunteer room when one of the athletes came upstairs upset because she didn’t want to compete. Her parents had come up to console her and convince her to get out there and give it a try,” Dave explained. "Me being the shy person I am, went over to see if they needed any help. I thought nothing of this until the end of the day. I saw her and her family as they were leaving and asked the how it went. She jumped into my arms and showed me the ribbons she had won. I was touched and was hooked from then on."
Since that day, he has volunteered for every event he can. Dave claims that Special Olympics is what sport and competition are all about - win or lose.
“There’s a different atmosphere at a Special Olympics event. There’s nothing else like it and you need to experience it to understand it,” he added.
Dave's sense of humour, his willingness to go above and beyond at every event, and the connections he has made with the SOM community make him one of our most beloved Winnipeg region volunteers.
When it comes down to it, volunteers like Dave are the backbone of our organization and we appreciate his dedication to the cause. Thanks for showing us what a passion for volunteering truly looks like!
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Want to nominate a volunteer from your region to be featured?
Send us an email at:
msuggitt@specialolympics.mb.ca