Mr. Harry "Red" Foster
The late Mr. Harry "Red" Foster worked tireless on behalf of people with an intellectual disability and was invited by Dr. Frank Hayden to bring a small floor hockey team to the 1968 Special Olympics Games in Chicago.
Upon returning to Canada from the Special Olympics Games in Chicago, he laid the foundation for the Special Olympics movement in Canada and founded Special Olympics Canada. The following summer, 1969, the first Special Olympics Canada event was held in Toronto. From that modest beginning, the Special Olympics movement quickly spread across the country and within a decade of the first Special Olympics Games in Canada, Special Olympics Chapters were running in every province and territory across Canada.
Now, almost four decades later the Special Olympics movement in Canada has over 31,000 athletes, 13,000 certified volunteer coaches and has developed into a rich sporting tradition. Special Olympics Canada National Games are held every two year, alternating between Summer and Winter Games. Special Olympics World Games are held in the year following the National Games.
For more information please visit http://www.specialolympics.ca/
