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Meet the Special Connections Board of Directors! Brent Newman VICE PRESIDENT Brent Newman is originally a native of Appalachian Ohio. Newman attended The Ohio State University and Capital University Law School, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science, and his Juris Doctor, respectively. For nearly 20 years he has been the Chief Executive Officer of the Grundy County Housing Authority, an independent Illinois municipal corporation charged with providing affordable homes and programming for low income people in Grundy County, Illinois. While at the Grundy County Housing Authority his responsibilities include Board, staff, resident, and public relations; budgeting; policy formulation and development; as well as day to day operations of the organization. During Newman’s tenure GCHA has consistently been designated by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development as a High Performing Agency. The team led by Brent created first in the nation entrepreneurial activities and revenue generation models, making the Grundy County Housing Authority a leader in providing affordable housing and the most awarded agency in the history of the Illinois Association of Housing Authorities. Brent is a passionate advocate of people with disabilities and has served on the Boards of Directors for numerous national, state and local non-profits, focusing his efforts in the areas of civil rights, economic empowerment, the alleviation of poverty, and the provision of social services.

Meet the Special Connections Board of Directors! Janna Siron BOARD MEMBER I have been employed at the Grundy County Special Education Cooperative for 23 years. I started teaching in an elementary life skills program and then transitioned to teaching students with autism. Currently, I am a program coordinator working with both our elementary life skills and autism programs. In my free time, I love spending time with my husband and two children, boating, and traveling.

Upcoming Events Multiple Dates Welcoming 2026 Fun Bowls Tue, Jan 20 Echo Lanes More info RSVP Winter Warm and Cozy Pajama Dance! Fri, Jan 23 Fraternal Order of Eagles (FOE) More info RSVP Past Events Wed, Dec 17 HOLIDAY FUN BOWL! / Echo Lanes Details Dec 17, 2025, 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM Echo Lanes, 220 Bedford Rd, Morris, IL 60450, USA We have a SPECIAL guest coming! AND treats! +16 more Wed, Dec 10 Holiday Crafts, Games and FUN! / Morris Public Library Details Dec 10, 2025, 6:00 PM – 7:15 PM Morris Public Library, 604 Liberty St, Morris, IL 60450, USA Join the fun at this new event! +6 more Tue, Dec 09 SO Young Athletes Basketball Skills Session 2 registration / registration Details Dec 09, 2025, 3:00 PM – Dec 23, 2025, 11:59 PM registration Register for Special Olympics Young Athletes Basketball Skills Session 2 See All Wed, Dec 03 December Fun Bowl! / Echo Lanes Details Dec 03, 2025, 6:00 PM – 7:15 PM Echo Lanes, 220 Bedford Rd, Morris, IL 60450, USA Hey! Come ROLL with your FRIENDS! +13 more Multiple Dates Sat, Nov 22 November dates for Athletes/Guardians/Coaches COE set up and SC file review / Morris Technology & Business Center Details Nov 22, 2025, 11:00 AM – 3:00 PM Morris Technology & Business Center, 1802 N Division St #507, Morris, IL 60450, USA Tina will help get you set up on the SO Center Of Excellence online portal and review your SC file. See All Fri, Nov 14 3rd Annual Life is a Gift Dinner and Dance / VFW Hall Details Nov 14, 2025, 6:30 PM VFW Hall, 309 McKinley St, Morris, IL 60450, USA It is time to CELEBRATE...our participants, our Special Olympic Athletes and Coaches and ALL the people who love them! +58 more Multiple Dates Wed, Nov 05 Fall Fun Bowls 2025 / Echo Lanes Details Nov 05, 2025, 6:00 PM – 7:15 PM Echo Lanes, 220 Bedford Rd, Morris, IL 60450, USA Time to ROLL your ball into Fall! This is where we roll with our friends! +3 more Multiple Dates Wed, Oct 29 October dates for Athletes/Guardians/Coaches COE set up and SC file review / Morris Technology & Business Center Details Oct 29, 2025, 2:00 PM – 5:30 PM Morris Technology & Business Center, 1802 N Division St #507, Morris, IL 60450, USA Tina will help get you set up on the SO Center Of Excellence online portal and review your SC file. See All Sat, Oct 25 "FANGS FOR THE MEMORIES" Halloween Bash / Cardinal Transport Details Oct 25, 2025, 6:30 PM – 9:00 PM Cardinal Transport, 7180 E Reed Rd, Coal City, IL 60416, USA A Spooktacular Time Awaits! +42 more Sat, Oct 18 Watercolor Painting Class / We Care of Grundy County Details Oct 18, 2025, 10:00 AM – 11:30 AM We Care of Grundy County, 530 Bedford Rd, Morris, IL 60450, USA Back by Popular Demand! Let's relax and have fun learning watercolor painting techniques! NEW DATE! +3 more Tue, Oct 07 2025-26 Special Olympics Swim Team registration / Registration Details Oct 07, 2025, 7:00 PM – Oct 28, 2025, 11:59 PM Registration Register for Special Olympics Swim Team! +2 more Fri, Oct 03 SO Basketball Skills & Young Athletes registration / registration Details Oct 03, 2025, 5:00 PM – Oct 20, 2025, 11:59 PM registration Register for Special Olympics Basketball Skills & Young Athletes Basketball Skills +3 more Thu, Oct 02 October dates for Athletes/Guardians/Coaches COE set up and SC file review / Morris Technology & Business Center Details Oct 02, 2025, 4:00 PM – 7:00 PM Morris Technology & Business Center, 1802 N Division St #507, Morris, IL 60450, USA Tina will help get you set up on the SO Center Of Excellence online portal and review your SC file. See All Sun, Sep 28 Corn Festival Parade 2025 / Location is TBD Details Sep 28, 2025, 1:15 PM – 3:30 PM Location is TBD Join us to walk or ride the bus in the parade! +10 more Fri, Sep 26 Grundy County Corn Festival Sensory Carnival Night!!! / City of Morris Stratton Park Details Sep 26, 2025, 4:30 PM – 6:00 PM City of Morris Stratton Park, Morris, IL 60450, USA It is back...free event! +10 more Mon, Sep 22 2025 SO Team Basketball Tryouts / Morris Details Sep 22, 2025, 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM Morris, 725 School St, Morris, IL 60450, USA Tryouts for our 2025-26 Special Connections Gladiators Team Basketball +2 more Multiple Dates Thu, Sep 18 September dates for Athletes/Guardians/Coaches COE set up and SC file review / Morris Technology & Business Center Details Sep 18, 2025, 4:00 PM – 8:00 PM Morris Technology & Business Center, 1802 N Division St #507, Morris, IL 60450, USA Tina will help get you set up on the SO Center Of Excellence online portal and review your SC file. Multiple Dates Fri, Aug 29 SO Bowling Athletes/Guardians/Coaches COE set up and SC file review / Morris Technology & Business Center Details Aug 29, 2025, 10:00 AM – 1:30 PM Morris Technology & Business Center, 1802 N Division St #507, Morris, IL 60450, USA Tina will help get you set up on the SO Center Of Excellence online portal and review your SC file. See All Load More

Meet the Special Connections Board of Directors! Valerie Frazier BOARD MEMBER I am a wife and mother of 3 girls. I have been a hair dresser for 32 years and still practice. I am a personal trainer and am very passionate about how food, nutrition and exercise can change one's life. I have a 23 year old who is differently abled, and changing her lifestyle was life changing for our whole family. Special Connections has helped to give me the opportunity to serve those in our community who are differently abled by letting me share my love of a healthy lifestyle and fitness training! I am so blessed to be a part of Special Connections and to help promote our mission in the community!

Learn more about the Special Connections Programs - Basketball, Boccee, Bowling and more! Special Olympics Snowshoe Athletes may compete in 2 individual race events and 1 relay event for snowshoe, a winter equivalent to track. Athletes practice once a week from October through the regional competition in December. Gold medal winners advance to the Special Olympics Illinois State Winter Games in February and practices continue to prepare for the state competition. Program Gallery < Previous Program Next Program >

Meet the Special Connections Board of Directors! Paula Mercer BOARD MEMBER I have worked at Busey Bank in Morris in the Treasury Management Dept since 2019, and have been in banking since 1998. I grew up in Joliet and then Morris. I graduated from Morris High School and attended Joliet Junior College. I currently live in Channahon, and have 2 kids Zachary, age 19 and Gwyneth, age 16. My husband, Tim Mercer, and I enjoy time with our family, enjoy watching sports and love to travel when we can. When the opportunity came up to join the board at Special Connections, I felt honored to join this great group of individuals that help create and promote so many avenues for our community members that have special needs. I look forward to being a part of the positive impact that Special Connections has in our community.

Learn more about the Special Connections Programs - Basketball, Boccee, Bowling and more! Special Olympics Athletics Athletes may compete in 2 individual events and 1 relay event for athletics (track and field). There are a variety of field events (softball throw, shot put, standing or running jump, etc.), as well as walking and running events at different distances. Athletes practice once a week in March and April to prepare for the regional competition held at the beginning of May. Gold medal winners advance to the Special Olympics Illinois State Summer Games in June and practices continue to prepare for the state competition. Program Gallery < Previous Program Next Program >

Special Connections Merchandise Is Here! Special Connections of Grundy County is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing social activities for people of all ages and all disabilities in and around Grundy County, Illinois. We are very pleased to now make available some wonderful merchandise to help you show your pride in Special Connections, and help us provide these important opportunities. All you need to do is download our new merchandise order form, fill it out and send it to our address at the top of the form. This year we have been able to bring some very exciting new things: Our t-shirts and sweatshirts now come in gray for both adults and youth! We now have BPA Free Acrylic cups with a straw for cold beverages and travel mugs for both hot or cold beverages! Download the Order Form and Get Your GREAT Stuff Today! Order Form

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Meet The Team Amy Carmack Executive Director Amy became the Executive Director of Special Connections in late March of 2023. She and her life partner, Gary, moved to Morris in 2021 from Kankakee, IL. Amy had served as the Director of Development at Good Shepherd Manor in Momence, IL for the past 15 years. Her role at Good Shepherd included donor stewardship, special event fundraising, grant writing and building the endowment program. Amy also has an extensive background in nonprofit Board management and training. Over the years she has provided workshops for many nonprofit and for profit organizations focusing on strategic planning, goal setting and teambuilding through her company, LeaderVersity Resources. On a personal note, Amy is Mom to three adult children (and their spouses) and Mimi to eight beautiful grandkids! Two of her three kids live in Iowa, where she is originally from, and the third lives in Wheaton. Amy states, "Being a part of organizations that serve individuals with disabilities has been an honor and privilege during my career. Special Connections is a wonderful organization that is having such an impact in the lives of our participants and their families. I look forward to working with everyone to grow and nurture this very worthy organization!" Tina Nall Special Olympics Program Coordinator I am a mother to my son Dominic and daughter-in-law Bekah, and my son Marcus who is a special needs adult with multiple diagnoses. Previously living in Minooka since 2005, we recently moved to Garner. I have 15 years of experience driving a school bus for students of all abilities, and 14 years of management experience in food service retail settings. Besides spending time with my family and helping Marcus to learn and grow to be a valuable member of our community, I enjoy traveling, riding my motorcycle, and spending time with our dogs. Marcus has benefitted since 2011 from the Special Olympics sports and activities that Special Connections offers. His favorite sport is swimming! I have always enjoyed volunteering for various organizations, so it was natural for me to start helping as an assistant coach and to eventually become the head coach of Track and Field. In 2018 I became the Program Coordinator for Special Connections. My main purpose is to oversee all of the Special Olympics sports that we offer. I love working with and helping to provide social and fitness opportunities for those with special needs, as well as inviting community members to become involved whether by coaching or being a Special Olympics Unified Partner. I have big dreams and goals in mind as Special Connections continues to grow, and I'm honored to be a part of such exciting times in a wonderful organization!

IPADD Unite (IL Parents of Adults with Developmental Disabilities) Join the group The Arc of Illinois Learn More They Deserve More Learn More Family Support Network Learn More Illinois Valley Industries Learn More Service Inc. -Our county DHS agency Learn More Together for Choice Learn More Trinity Services Learn More Grundy Area Special Needs Network Learn More Contact your local legislators to help advocate for disability services: Representative Welter Senator Rezin Representative Kinzinger