Special Olympics and FanDuel Team Up to Show Sports Are "Everyone's Game"
This summer, thousands of athletes will lace up their sneakers and chase their dreams across more than 30 sports at the 2026 Special Olympics USA Games. As a sponsor of the Games, FanDuel is proud to support a sentiment that hits close to home: sports belong to everyone.
For some FanDuel employees, this partnership holds personal significance.
Dale Hooper is the General Manager of FanDuel Canada and has been connected to Special Olympics Canada for over a decade. His daughter, Emma, now turning 20, has been competing since she was 6 years old, excelling in swimming and rhythmic gymnastics.
What moves Hooper most isn't just Emma's athletic achievements—which includes competing in the 2024 Ontario provincials—but watching his once-shy daughter blossom with confidence and strength. The magic happens, he says, because Emma draws courage from her fellow athletes. If everyone else is trying something new, she'll try it too.
"The Special Olympic athletes are just different because their love of the sport and what they're doing is what shines," said Hooper. "There's still competitiveness in Special Olympics, but there's also love for everybody who's out there trying."
FanDuel's partnership with the Special Olympics means he can share this joy with his colleagues.
"FanDuel allows for an environment where we can be ourselves," said Hooper. "Everyone can share the causes that matter to them, and together, we have the power to make an impact."
Building on "Everyone's Game"
Through this partnership with the 2026 Special Olympics USA Games, FanDuel is helping to promote inclusivity across all sports and address the broader healthcare disparities that individuals with disabilities face in society.
This effort builds on FanDuel's "Everyone's Game" initiative by tackling not just access to sports, but the barriers that often prevent full participation.
"We believe sports have the power to drive positive impact by promoting physical wellness, teamwork, social connection, and community pride," said Keita Young, Advocacy & Public Policy Vice President at FanDuel.
FanDuel will sponsor the Sports Recovery Stations and Healthy Athletes Fun Fitness areas during the Games. Employees will also have the opportunity to volunteer at the Games this summer, which will take place June 20-26th.
The Healthy Athletes Fun Fitness areas create an anxiety-free environment to identify health risk factors for people with IDD, avoiding the stress often associated with more formal doctors' visits. Athletes will receive screenings across a variety of disciplines including eye, dental, and hearing exams.
The Sports Recovery Stations during the Games will also provide athletes with ongoing fitness and rehabilitation to ensure they stay healthy while competing.
"Our corporate sponsors are absolutely essential to pull off a massive countrywide event like the 2026 USA Games," said Kevin Quiring, Chief Development Officer of the 2026 Special Olympics USA Games. "We value all of our individual donors, of course, but without the sponsorship investment of venerable brands like FanDuel, it would be impossible to pull off something of this magnitude."
Beyond the Games
FanDuel's support extends beyond the Games, including sponsorship of the Lights and Sirens Race for Hope at the Charlotte Motor Speedway this past December, benefiting Special Olympics North Carolina.
In early 2026, FanDuel also plans to sponsor several local Polar Plunges including Maryland, Minnesota, and Illinois. Polar Plunges are a popular charity event where participants brave cold water to raise funds for regional Special Olympics organizations.
"We are continuing to evolve towards a more community-based impact strategy, one that prioritizes listening to communities, investing locally, and partnering with organizations that are already doing great work," said Keita Young, FanDuel.
FanDuel Canada has also been an active supporter of the Special Olympics Canada: LIMITLESS Gala since 2022. The company recently supported the “Draft an Athlete” initiative, sponsoring 11 Special Olympic athletes ahead of the next Games.
Stories like Dale and Emma's demonstrate how inclusive sports create ripple effects that extend far beyond individual athletes—touching families, colleagues, and entire communities. When corporations champion these efforts, they amplify that impact even further.
"When corporate sponsors support that unified sports objective, it sends a powerful message that inclusivity is critical for our society overall, not just for the intellectual disability community," said Kevin Quiring, 2026 Special Olympics USA Games.
Sports have the power to uplift individuals and unite communities, and by investing in programs that break down barriers, we are helping ensure sports can be everyone's game.
Visit fanduel.com/about/community-commitment to learn more about FanDuel's community impact initiatives.
