Unified Sports is a Special Olympics supported program that provides opportunities for students with and without intellectual disabilities to practice and compete on sports teams together. Schools within HBUHSD compete against each other in basketball, flag football, soccer, track & field, and volleyball. Additionally, students in this program participate throughout the year in a baseball clinic and unified cheer.

HBUHSD’s Unified Sports is a self-sustained program, meaning they rely on funds donated to ensure the continued operation and success of its program. This is why events such as the Unified Sports Golf Tournament take place every year.

At this year’s event, 144 golfers showed up to play golf and support Unified Sports. The morning began with a ball drop, where over 300 golf balls were dropped from an aerial ladder on a fire truck, courtesy of the Huntington Beach Fire Department. After a day on the course with friends and colleagues, golfers reconvened for raffles and silent auctions at the club, with prizes donated by over 28 companies. Those in attendance also had the opportunity to sponsor a Unified Sports student, which funds the cost of an entire year of participation.

The $7,000 raised during the Unified Sports Golf Tournament helps HBUHSD’s Unified Sports program pay for uniforms, transportation costs, lunches for athletes on tournament days, and other costs associated with running a quality Unified Sports program.

HBUHSD Unified Sports Liaison, Courtney Gillett, shared, “I want to thank everyone who attended the Golf Tournament as a golfer, donor, or volunteer. Unified Sports is a life changing experience for our partners and athletes alike. I am thankful that we are able to raise funds for our program so that it will continue for many, many years.”