MEQUON, Wis. — A local Special Olympics team is growing larger due to the generosity of the community.
The Special Olympics program in Ozaukee County is making a significant impact by helping athletes with intellectual and developmental disabilities discover their talents on the golf course.
At Missing Links Golf Course in Mequon, 10-year-old Christian Bailey practices his swing often as part of the program's golf team. He even plays nine holes every once in a while.
Christian was diagnosed with cerebral palsy, ADHD and autism. He has been developing his fine motor skills through sports for several years. As one of the team's youngest members, he is always taking pointers from his coaches.
"Get your feet still, and then get your club back and whip it," he said of the advice he's gotten.
Taylor Krueger has been part of the program for decades and also practices regularly at the course.
"I want to learn more about golf and try something new," Krueger said.
Both athletes will be heading to the state tournament in golf later this year. They are just two of the 130 athletes now taking part in the program's various sports teams.
But for the families and coaches, the program offers much more than just athletic competition. Coach Kathleen Huevler says the program has grown quickly in the past few years, in part due to donations from people and businesses in the community, like Missing Links.
Watch: Community's generosity fuels lifelong friendships at Ozaukee Special Olympics
"Every time I talk to someone, they're like, 'Oh, I know someone in Special Olympics. I want to give back. What can I do to help?'" Huevler said.
She says several families have relocated to Ozaukee County specifically for the resources available to the IDD community.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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