Uniform gift a thrill for special club

For many athletes at the Special Olympics Howick-Pakuranga club, playing sport with their mates each week is the highlight of their lives.

The club has 100 athletes - aged between 8 and 63 - who all have an intellectual disability. Each week there are training sessions, run by volunteers, in a variety of different sports: athletics, swimming, indoor bowls, basketball, table tennis and tenpin bowling.

Next year they will all receive new uniforms to wear at local competitions thanks to a $10,000 gift from Auckland Airport's 12 days of Christmas campaign.

Club spokeswoman Claire Lingman said the grant was a big boost for everyone involved as the club relied heavily on fundraising efforts, donations and volunteers.

"A donation like this to purchase uniforms will directly benefit the athletes as we do our best to ensure that they only have to make a very small contribution towards venue hire."

Mrs Lingman said training each week was the highlight for many.

"It may be their only social activity."

With the Special Olympics World Summer Games in Los Angeles next year, getting new uniforms was also very timely and helped to boost excitement among the athletes, who would be supporting those who were selected for the New Zealand team.

Auckland Airport spokesman Charles Spillane said they were honoured to provide something that "would match the level of pride shown on the sporting field".