Now we see the result of Sigma and Danir's commitment to the Parasport Association and Special Olympics Sweden

Last year, Sigma and Danir started ‘Funkisfonden’, an initiative to get people with intellectual disabilities to become more active in sports. Now they have taken this commitment further and are now the main sponsor of Special Olympics Sweden. A collaboration that now results in them being involved in Special Olympics School Days*.

Unfortunately, Corona made a halt to all activities this spring, but it is now time to restart the successful work with Special Olympics School Days, sports days in Swedish special schools. First stop was Södertälje on the 17/9, where the activities was held in Täljehallen, GF-hallen and at Södertälje IP. Since the start in 2015, thousands of special school students have had the chance to try different types of sports and with Sigma's commitment, Kristin Frilund, business developer at Special Olympics Sweden, hopes that these sports days will reach an even larger number of students. Special Olympics School Days introduce students to an active life in a fun and easy way. Everyone participates to their own abilities and the local clubs that participate during the day help to make it easier to become more active in their free time. With Sigma's support, Special Olympics Sweden can now focus even more on the work of following up on how many of the participants continue with sports after participating in Special Olympics Sweden's School Days.

The commitment to the Parasport Association began last year with the initiative Funkisfonden, where Sigma and Danir highlighted and gave a voice to athletes with intellectual disabilities. Funkisfonden collected and shared stories about everyone who trains and competes, despite the fact that the conditions and accessibility to sports are not always the best. During that year, in addition to a greater awareness of the importance of exercise and sports for this group of people, Funkisfonden generated almost SEK 200,000 which went in full to Special Olympics Sweden. This collaboration turned into a main sponsorship which among other things, will help to further develop Special Olympics Sweden's School Days.

“We have seen up close the importance of sport and the community surrounding sports for people with intellectual disabilities. The sports days for the special school are a very good way into the world of sports and show that everyone can participate without demands for competition and performance,” says Johan Glennmo, CEO of Danir.

“Corona, of course created some problems, but we felt that this is far too important to not continue our committment to Special Olympics Sweden,” says Johan Glennmo, CEO of Danir.

“It has been a special year to say the least, but now we can finally start our School Days, in a safe and corona-adapted way,” says Kristin Frilund, business developer at Special Olympics Sweden.

“We work with scarce resources, but with Sigma and Danir's support we can now, not only arrange good sports days, but also follow up and evaluate them and thus increase the number who continue with sports,” says Kristin Frilund, business developer at Special Olympics Sweden.

For more information please contact:

Johan Glennmo, CEO Danir AB, owner of Sigma Group
Telephone: +46 703-79 52 54
E-mail: johan.glennmo@danir.com

Kristin Frilund, Business developer Special Olympics Sweden
Telephone: +46 72-531 27 86
E-mail: kristin.frilund@parasport.se

*Special Olympics School Days is a sports day where students with intellectual disabilities can try out different sports. The day is a co-arrangement between local sports clubs, special needs schools and the Swedish Parasport Association's local districts. Which sports can be tried depends on which local sports clubs and associations are involved.