It doesn’t take long for Wendy Bonham to think of some of the myriad benefits for the local athletes that take part in Special Olympics games.

“They get to be involved in sports, from age 8 to 99,” said Bonham, the area director for Special Olympics.

“A lot of them have never had the opportunity to participate before. Just being together in the community is important. They learn, ‘I can do this.’ Then they find out they can do more than that.”

So it didn’t take long for Bonham to take up Mary Jane Duncan’s offer to accept funds from the Bob Cup, an annual golf tournament held in July in Sequim.

The tourney is slated for 9 a.m. Saturday, July 29, at The Cedars at Dungeness Golf Course, 1965 Woodcock Road. An auction is set for 2:30 p.m.

Player check-in begins at 8 a.m. and the shotgun start is at 9 a.m. Registration is $100 per player. The fee includes greens fee, cart, raffle ticket and food voucher. For more information, call Duncan at 360-775-1197.

“I’ve known Mary Jane for a long time,” Bonham said. “She just called me. I was standing there with my mouth open, [saying], ‘Are you serious?’”

The tourney and its new beneficiary hold a special place for Duncan, who created the tournament — now in its eighth year — in memory of her late husband, longtime Sequim resident Bob Duncan.

Bob Duncan

Last year’s tourney was held in honor of Duncan’s brother David Dow, who passed away on Oct. 5, 2021, from complications of Down syndrome.

“My brother was very big into Special Olympics,” Duncan said.

Dow got involved with Special Olympics in Southern California before moving to the Olympic Peninsula, where he got involved with the organization’s golf and bowling programs, she said.

“Special Olympics is such an incredible service to these people,” Duncan said.

Bonham said about 80 individuals take part in the local Special Olympics teams, the Clallam County Orcas, a number that has gone down since the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Not all participate in all the sports,” Bonham noted. Competitions include bowling, basketball, swimming, track and field, softball, bocce and golf. There are also sports that include both people with and without disabilities, called unified sports, she said.

Funds raised from this year’s Bob Cup will go to various expenses, from uniforms and equipment to transportation. There are also venue practice fees, though Bonham noted most places on the Olympic Peninsula allow the Orcas to hone their skills for free.

And then there’s some housing expenses, Bonham said, with many competitions taking place in the I-5 corridor or beyond.

“We usually have to pay for housing because we live so far away from everything,” she said.

However, she noted, “The athletes don’t ever pay for anything.”

Once at Special Olympic competitions, most athletes improve upon their previous marks or scores, Bonham said.

“Even if they don’t get medals, they are recognized for what they do,” she said.

Special Olympics is also putting more of an emphasis in recent years on nutrition.

For Dow, keeping in shape was an important aspect of participating in Special Olympics, Duncan said.

“The socialization for him to be with his peers [was] huge, especially beyond [age] 21,” she said. “[Because] weight is a huge issue. He sat and watched TV with [my] mom. This was an opportunity to get out. He was a social bug, too.”

A sponsor for this Bob Cup and in previous years is Alaskan Airlines, Bob Duncan’s former employer.

Previous Bob Cup events have donated funds to Clallam Mosaic, a local nonprofit that strives to “empower individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and special health care needs.”

Bob Cup Golf Tournament

What: Fundraiser for Special Olympics (Clallam County)

When: Saturday, July 29

Where: The Cedars at Dungeness Golf Course, 1965 Woodcock Road

Cost: $100 per player

More info: 360-775-1197