Methanex in Vancouver is incredibly proud to announce a partnership with the Special Olympics British Columbia (SOBC). SOBC provides year-round, high-quality sports programs and competitions for more than 4,800 athletes ages two to 18 with intellectual disabilities (IDs) in 55 communities around the province, with the vital assistance of more than 3,900 trained, dedicated volunteers. Their vision is that sport will open hearts and minds towards people with intellectual disabilities, and create inclusive and healthy communities all across British Columbia.

Late last year the Methanex Vancouver Social Responsibility reached out to employees with a survey to determine what issues they felt we should focus our time and resources on as we moved into 2019 and beyond. The results of that survey highlighted a passion for improving childhood well-being, mental and physical wellness, and poverty reduction. Our employees were also looking for more hands-on ways to give back to the local community.

Based on these results, Methanex Vancouver officially came on board as provincial sponsor for Special Olympics British Columbia (SOBC). Special Olympics will join the other wonderful local organizations that Methanex currently supports. In May we had our first Methanex sponsored Special Olympics Youth Sports Day. The Youth Sports Day allowed families of local children with intellectual disabilities to visit St Thomas More Collegiate School and try out important basic sports skills in a supportive environment. Methanex Youth Sports Day proved to a fun-filled day of activity, bringing a smile to the faces of all the children, families, and volunteers who took part. We learned that roughly 80% of the participants on the day were new to Special Olympics. It’s these types of events that have the potential to break down barriers and open up a new world of opportunity to children with intellectual disabilities, and we hope that those who took part can continue their journey with SOBC.

We were very impressed with employee engagement and would like to thank our volunteers for their time and enthusiasm on the day. We are proud to have played a small part in helping the SOBC vision become a reality for families in the Lower Mainland, and further our commitment to making a positive impact in the communities in which we work, live and play.