“What I love about our athletes is that they’re so excited about participating in our activities,” says Gina Carbajal about Special Olympics Santa Barbara. “They’re such a great group of individuals in our community. There’s such a pureness to them.”
Special Olympics is the world's largest sports organization for people with intellectual disabilities, and its mission is to transform lives through the joy of sports. They offer training opportunities in an inclusive culture that stresses athletic excellence, rewards determination, emphasizes health, and celebrates personal achievement.
Gina is the development director of the Santa Barbara region, which includes Santa Barbara, Montecito, Summerland, Carpinteria, Gaviota, Isla Vista, and UCSB. The organization works closely with law enforcement for its fundraising, hosting doing events like “Tip A Cop,” where officers serve as celebrity waiters at restaurants and they donate all the tips they receive to Special Olympics.