Langley Special Olympians score with sweet fundraiser
Published 11:45 am Wednesday, February 4, 2026
Three local Special Olympians had fun making fundraising donuts in the kitchen of the Willoughby Tim Horton restaurant but they have no plans to give up their sports gear for cooking utensils.
Jenifer Burton, and siblings Marissa and Stephen Metcalfe all compete as members of Special O Langley. They visited the restaurant on Thursday, Jan. 29, to help launch a donut sale fundraiser that ran until Feb. 1.
Funds from the sale of specially decorated chocolate donuts will benefit Special Olympics chapters such as Langley’s.
Burton, about to turn 50, competes in soccer, swimming, baseball, and bowling. She’s been a member for about 25 years, and was one of the first locals to join the program.
“Meeting new friends” is why she enjoys being part of Special O, she said.
Stephen Metcalfe is no stranger to the fast food industry.
“I’ve done A&W for three or four years [as part of work experience],” he said.
A member of Special O Langley for about seven years, the 31-year-old plans to stick with floorball and other interests over baking but had fun at the restaurant.
His twin sister, Marissa, went to 2025 provincials in Prince George where she earned two silver and three bronze. She competes in bowling and rhythmic gymnastics as well as doing Club Fit, a fitness program.
“I cook some at home,” she said.
She’s worked at Newlands Golf Course as well as helped at community groups such as the Langley Animal Protection Society and Bibles for Missions. The local athletes are also involved in Adopt-a-Blocks.
“I’ll stick to sports,” she chuckled.
Accompanying them was Kayla Brouwer, who is who sits on the local executive and is a swimming head coach.
“We currently have 82 volunteers and 148 athletes,” she said of the local chapter. “All of our sports are full to capacity except for track and field.”
The A/B basketball team recently went to Vancouver Island to play against a few teams there. As well as the floorball team just had a friendly competition against the Langley Riverman.
“Our bowlers are practicing for their upcoming qualifiers taking place in March which will determine who will be going to provincials next year,” Brouwer added.
It will be a bit of time before the local Special O program finds out how much it will receive from donut sales. Brouwer explained that the funds go to operating the program, including equipment, uniforms, and rent for athletic venues.
Greg McAuley owns the Willoughby franchise, along with others in Langley, the Fraser Valley, Kelowna, and Quebec. He enjoyed playing host to the Special Olympians and considers it important for him and his staff to meet the people impacted by such campaigns.
“We know it’s a great cause,” McAuley said.
Special Olympics BC delivers year-round high-quality sport programs to people with intellectual disabilities daily in 55 communities throughout the province. Athletes range in age from toddlers to people in their 90s. The organization is a charity that relies on public, corporate, and government support to deliver low-to-no cost athletic programs in B.C. communities. Special Olympics exists around the world, now in 200 countries and jurisdictions, with more than 5.7 million athletes.
