Two organizations serving Special Olympians in Mahoning County will be combined into one entity with full support from the state, but not everyone is happy about the change.

Some members of the group known as Mahoning County Public Special Olympics have called the move a “hostile takeover.”

“We do wish all the best to this new organization that was formed just a year ago, however this is not where we want to be. Why the state could not just support both groups is unclear,” said MCPSO secretary Diane Lane. “Most importantly, giving this other group all of the funds that we raised under Mahoning County Public Special Olympics and leaving us with what they are saying is no choice is very disappointing.”

Lane said her organization of more than 80 members — active in the county for more than 30 years — has maintained a good relationship with the Mahoning County Board of Developmental Disabilities, which also operates a certified SO organization.

The latter program has had a renaissance over the past two years under the leadership of Shannon Arcade, who has taken on the role of director and coach. Arcade, executive director of RaeArc Industries and the Carousel Center, has been appointed to oversee the newly merged organization.

According to a letter sent Friday from Special Olympics Ohio Northeast Regional Director Libby Schafer: “[b]eginning on March 1, 2025, the programs currently known as ‘Mahoning County’ and ‘Mahoning Public’ will merge to form a single, unified program … under the official name of “Mahoning County, an accredited program of Special Olympics Ohio.”

The letter states: “This merger represents a thoughtful step forward, enabling us to strengthen and expand Special Olympics Ohio’s presence across the Mahoning Valley. By coming together as one program, we aim to enhance our impact and provide a unified approach to serving current and future athletes. All current programming will continue as planned, ensuring athletes are minimally impacted and allowing for a seamless experience for all participants and families.”

Lane said she and several other members of MCPSO do not intend to participate, but Arcade hopes she can change minds.

“I want to honor them and honor what they’ve done because I think it’s great what they’ve done,” she said. “I want to find a way to work together. I want to learn from them how to fundraise and keep their programs going. I want to have their athletes be a part of our programs and give our athletes access to the programs they’ve established.”

Arcade said she has no plans to disband the bowling or basketball teams, for example, and that if all programs remain intact, there could be as many as 10 sports programs in the county. Ideally, she said, athletes could be on more than one team or bowl more than one day a week, or have the freedom to participate in a sport they couldn’t participate in previously because it wasn’t on the right day.

Already in place are kickball, basketball, bowling, cornhole, bocce, and track and field, and Arcade said she plans to start at least two others this year. She said she hopes to find someone to help with softball.

“I know MCPSO had softball so that’s another thing I would like to be able to talk with them about and we might like to bring that back,” she said. “I’m open to listening to them and I want to hear their ideas.”

HARD FEELINGS

Lane said the merger is the latest step in what feels like a multi-year effort by the state organization to seize control of the program MCPSO has worked to build.

Three years ago, she said, Special Olympics Ohio required all funds held by local organizations under individual tax ID numbers to be moved into accounts under the state tax ID number.

“And they had to have a signer on our accounts,” she said. “We could not withdraw money but we could make purchases and deposits. We followed all rules and regulations set by the state. We raised all of our own funds and had amazing community support.”

During the COVID pandemic, all events came to a halt and local SO groups and participants waited for things to return to normal.

“As soon as we were allowed to continue we did so,” Lane said. “In the past seven years, we were operated by three local businessmen as local coordinators. We participated in state games as well as local games. We amassed approximately $180,000 under this leadership.”

But in November, when one local coordinator stepped down, Lane said, the state froze the group’s funds without notice.

“We found out when we tried to buy whistles for our basketball game,” she said. “The state did finally notify us that they would let us know how to proceed before Thanksgiving. We thought at that time that we would simply have to follow the bylaws set by the state and reapply for certification.”

Lane said they were notified in mid-December that MCPSO would have to merge with another group in Mahoning County and that they would have control of all the funds raised under the name of Mahoning County Public Special Olympics.

Earlier this month, she said, the state held a town hall Zoom meeting.

“We had over 60 people attend from our group to support the fact that we did not wish to be merged. After the 90-minute meeting we were told they would debrief and get back to us,” she said.

On Friday, they received the letter.

Lane said the merger feels like a family is being broken up.

“We have always welcomed anyone who wanted to join us. We offer sports 11 months of the year. We are a very unique group in the sense that we are a family support group. Whenever we have an event it is not just our athletes — it’s their parents, their siblings, their friends. We attend each other’s birthday parties, graduations and funerals. We share information on how to deal with many of the issues raising a special needs adult,” she said.

“I feel this is not a merger, this is a hostile takeover. Although in Ohio Special Olympics’ mind this is a done deal, our community needs to know that we have done nothing wrong and we appreciate all the support we have received over the past 30-plus years.”

Lane said they will work to find a way to continue “for those athletes that consider us their family and friends and may not be joining the other group.”

“Many special needs kids / adults take years to adjust to change and will never understand why they can’t stay with their friends,” she said.

Arcade said she sympathizes with those concerns and wants the merger to be easy for everyone. She said that when she was approached by the state to possibly take over the merged organizations she had no information about the organizational troubles or the financial picture.

Arcade said it is important, though, that monies raised by any county-funded program be used for the benefit of everyone in the county who qualifies under that program. But while management of finances and business matters will be her responsibility, Arcade said she doesn’t see that as the most important issue.

“I want a seamless merger so that our athletes are not impacted whatsoever,” she said. “It’s not all about us or the money. It’s about the athletes having the opportunity to grow.”