BRIDGEPORT — Hundreds of Special Olympics athletes from across the city will descend on McGuane Park for a weekend bocce ball tournament.
Hosted by Special Olympics Chicago, the event takes place 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday at the park, 2901 S. Poplar Ave. The public is invited to watch the action and there will be opportunities to volunteer throughout the day.
A raffle for a handmade quilt and a bake sale will also be part of the festivities, the proceeds from which benefit the McGuane Magic, a sports team that's part of a Chicago Park District program pairing developmentally disabled athletes with the nationwide Special Olympics organization for sporting events throughout the city.
The partnership between the entities can be traced back to the 1960s, when the city's civic leaders moved to bring the intellectually disabled out of state institutions or homes and into more visible recreational programs.
McGuane Magic coordinator Kate McIntosh said the money raised on Saturday "all goes for things like bussing, transportation, equipment, anything we need for Special Olympics or things for our supply room."
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