HILO — Laughter, competition and community spirit filled the University of Hawaii at Hilo campus Sunday as athletes from across the Big Island gathered for the annual Special Olympics area games.

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HILO — Laughter, competition and community spirit filled the University of Hawaii at Hilo campus Sunday as athletes from across the Big Island gathered for the annual Special Olympics area games.

East Hawaii Special Olympics, in conjunction with UH-Hilo’s athletics department and several volunteers, hosted the 2026 Special Olympics Big Island Basketball and Bocce Area Games. In addition to the bocce and hoops contests in Hilo, a bowling tournament was held in Kona, hosted by West Hawaii Special Olympics.

Athletes ranged from age 8 to adulthood. The event served as a regional qualifier for Big Island athletes, and roughly 90 of the 115 participating athletes were able to qualify for the 2026 Holiday Classic next month on Oahu.

Several student-athletes from the Vulcans baseball and women’s basketball team volunteered their time to officiate the games, giving them a unique opportunity to work closely with the community they represent.

“The women’s basketball and baseball team are model volunteers,” East Hawaii Special Olympics Co-Director Jeff St. Pierre told the paper on the phone. “They’re everything that Special Olympics would want — their enthusiasm, compassion, dedication and consideration was shown all throughout the day.

“The officials are the most important part of the event, as they communicate the rules, they communicate enthusiasm and comfort the athletes who sometimes need that safety to be able to go out and do their best on the field. They made their day.”

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St. Pierre thanked co-director Heather Dansdill, UH-Hilo Athletic Director Patrick Guillen, assistant AD Kula Oda, Vulcans women’s basketball coach David Kaneshiro and Vulcans baseball manager Elliott Cribby.

He additionally credited Kari Sato with Waiakea High School’s Key Club for helping with logistics, Hilo Lions Club for handing out awards, Rob and Kristen Sanborn for leading transportation and officiating, Penny Kindschuh, Carey Uchida and Pahoa Po‘onui for assisting in hospitality, Ohana Task Force for providing food and beverages, Bayada Big Island Behavioral Health for announcing and staging athletes and Gwynn Sosa and Tanya Nakama for teaching the baseball team bocce rules prior to the tournament.

“These people make it possible for athletes to have a fully-inclusive competition experience full of joy,” St. Pierre said.

Special Olympics Hawaii supplies year-round sports training and athletic competition for children and adults with intellectual disabilities. St. Pierre believes fostering opportunities like the one on Sunday allows for social inclusion and meaningful connections with the community.

“If anyone is interested in having any family members join as an athlete, or if anyone is interested in volunteering in such roles such as a unified partner — which you would play with an athlete in various sports and coach — or even as just an event volunteer, visit sohawaii.org to find your specific region and where you can start the process of volunteering,” he added.

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