MICHIGAN, USA — A $2.5 million partnership between Special Olympics Michigan and Gun Lake Casino was unveiled Thursday morning.
The statewide partnership will last several years and allow Special Olympics Michigan to improve sports competitions and initiatives for the disabled community.
Gun Lake Casino has sponsored events with Special Olympics Michigan before, but never on a scale of this magnitude. The partnership has been years in the making.
The investment will play a vital role in getting the Unified Sports and Inclusion Center on track to be a revolutionary space for Special Olympics athletes.
13 ON YOUR SIDE's Juliet Dragos has been a board member of the Special Olympics for many years, as well as co-chair of the capital campaign.
"But now this dream, this vision is going to become reality because of this partnership," she said at the announcement. "So this is a game-changer both literally and figuratively because once this is done, not only is this facility a place for West Michigan Special Olympics athletes, for the state's Special Olympics athletes, but this is going to attract visitors and interest in our state, in West Michigan, from not just the country but the world."
The partnership is said to last 12 years, though officials with Gun Lake Casino say they hope it will last even longer.
An athlete with Special Olympics says this is an opportunity to make them feel more recognized, and it's something that's got them already excited for the competitions to come.
To learn more about the partnership, click here.
►Make it easy to keep up to date with more stories like this. Download the 13 ON YOUR SIDE app now.
Have a news tip? Email news@13onyourside.com, visit our Facebook page or Twitter. Subscribe to our YouTube channel.