Long-time Airdrie resident and Special Olympics volunteer Paul Manuel was recognized with a Queen's Platinum Jubilee Medal during a ceremony held at Calgary's Sheraton Cavalier Hotel on Dec. 17.
Manuel received the accolade from Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek, alongside four other recipients. All five were recognized for their long-standing contributions to Special Olympics Alberta, whose CEO Sue Gilchrist was also in attendance.
“Because of people like our recipients, countless numbers of individuals with intellectual disabilities have been able to experience the transformative power and joy of sports,” read a press release from Special Olympics Alberta.
Manuel said it was humbling to be among the five selected to receive the medal, considering the high number of dedicated Special Olympics volunteers, coaches, and advocates there are throughout the province.
“I know there’s a limited number and I think Special Olympics Alberta was given five medals to nominate people for, and then the process went to Edmonton to confirm the nominations,” he said, adding he found out about his nomination in early December.
“The real reward is being able to volunteer with such a wonderful group of people for such a meaningful organization. That’s the real reward.”
A retired member of the Calgary Police Service, Manuel's involvement in Special Olympics dates back 35 years, when he first took part in the Law Enforcement Torch Run (LETR) – a police-organized fundraising run in support of Special Olympics.
He said he went into that first LETR fairly blind when it came to his knowledge of Special Olympics. But immediately noticing the positive impact the organization had on athletes with intellectual disabilities, Manuel said he was motivated to keep involved. He ended up taking part in the LETR for more than 30 years in a row, eventually becoming the director of the run's Alberta operations.
“It just started off as, ‘Let’s go for a run for Special Olympics,’” he recalled. “Then we started selling a few T-shirts to help raise some money, and it just grew from there.”
Manuel also designed the Toonies for Torches fundraiser for Special Olympics, created the Flames of Hope Harley Davidson raffle, and has been a power-lifting coach with Special Olympics Calgary for over 20 years.
“Through the exposure of what we did in law enforcement with Special Olympics, I just became aware of how special of an organization it was and how amazing these people we were volunteering to raise money for really were,” he said. “They have so many obstacles to overcome in society.
“And you have to remember, 35 years ago, people with intellectual disabilities were marginalized terribly when compared to today (and even today isn’t great). Being a police officer, you join the service to make a difference and help people, and these were people who needed more help than most.”
Throughout his decades of involvement with Special Olympics, Manuel has helped raise millions of dollars in support of the organization. While fundraising efforts like the LETR and Harley Davidson raffle were put on hold for two years during the COVID-19 pandemic, he was excited to reveal the initiatives are coming back in 2023.
“COVID kind of, as it did for so many fundraising activities, [prevented us] from doing the raffle, so we’re starting it again in February and it will run again until June,” he said. “We’ll start it up again and start contributing those funds back to Special Olympics.”
In the fall of 2019, after more than 30 years of advocacy and support, Manuel and his wife Theresa were honoured to receive the Sovereign’s Medal for Volunteers from Alberta's former Lieutenant Governor, Lois Mitchell.
The Queen's Platinum Jubilee Medals were created earlier this year in honour of the 70-year anniversary of the late Queen Elizabeth II's accession to the throne. The medals have been distributed throughout 2022 to recipients with lengthy community service records and volunteerism.
While being nominated for and receiving yet another award was humbling, Manuel reiterated the opportunity for recognition isn't what keeps him involved in Special Olympics.
“I believe in giving back to the community, but more so, I just enjoy working with the people I work with, the people we volunteer for, and the people with intellectual disabilities who participate in Special Olympics,” he said. “What you get to see is very inspiring, and knowing you have something positive to contribute toward it is just very motivating.”
