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Last June, exactly one year before the 2026 Special Olympics USA Games arrive in Minnesota, I joined the public relations team at Haberman. As agency of record for the Games, our firm is tasked with telling the stories behind one of the largest humanitarian events in our state’s history — a role that, for me, brings a family story full circle.

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In 1991, when Minnesota hosted the Special Olympics World Summer Games, my father, Fred Haberman, was a young volunteer who understood that when a movement of this scale comes to your backyard, you show up. That experience stayed with him. Not just as a fond memory, but as a life-changing lesson in how an event can fundamentally shift the way we see one another.

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Now, 35 years later, my father and I will volunteer at the 2026 USA Games together. He’ll be doing what he did in 1991 and I’ll be doing what he role-modeled for me my entire life: showing up.

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With the 2026 Special Olympics USA Games now just one month away (June 20-26), Minnesotans have an opportunity to show the country once again what this state stands for. Our state has weathered real tension, trauma and division, yet we’ve consistently found our strength in how we show up for one another. The USA Games offer a powerful chance to come together and recommit to that legacy through joyful, radical inclusion.

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The Games need 10,000 volunteers to mobilize across 20,000 shifts, a massive logistical feat. Since joining the team, I’ve seen the sheer scale of the preparation required to honor athletes who have trained for this moment for years. This isn’t just about sports; it’s about correcting a narrative for people who have spent a lifetime being told what they can’t do. There is nothing abstract about this mission. It’s visceral, human and a chance for our state to prove what we value.

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Dozens of local companies have stepped up with financial support and community engagement for the Games, providing thousands of employee volunteers. But the real test of Minnesota’s commitment won’t be measured in sponsorships. It will be measured in community participation.

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