Eighteen teams will be participating in the annual Unified Special Olympics Basketball Tournament this week in Steinbach. 

The event showcases the skills of athletes with and without intellectual disabilities. 

Organizer and teacher Karleen Unger loves to see the many great things that happen during and after the tournament. 

“The friendships and the community that’s built,” she says. “And just to see kids with and without intellectual disabilities coming together and participating on the court. It's just awesome. And at the end of it, you know, there's so many friendships and the kids see each other in the halls and it's awesome.” 

While this is Unger’s first year organizing the tournament, she says the SRSS has been hosting such events for around seven years now. 

“It stemmed from our Special Olympics Phys. Ed. class that we have at our school here. We have about 22 students with physical and intellectual disabilities. It was just an opportunity for them to showcase their talent, to be athletes in our school and to represent us and make amazing connections in our communities.” 

Unger says Thursday's tournament will include athletes from five different schools. It will run from 10am until 2pm at the SRSS, and she invites the public to help fill the stands for each game.

-With files from Michelle Sawatzky