Darren Whitehead – Meritorious Service

Involvement with Special Olympics since 1993 has resulted in Darren Whitehead travelling the globe in many capacities.

It all started in 1993 when Whitehead began volunteer with Special Olympics floor hockey team in Prince Albert as a coach and referee. Since 1995 he has been the Referee in Chief and Sport Technical Advisor for Floor Hockey for Saskatchewan Special Olympics including officiating in 15 provincial tournaments. He was the Referee in Chief for the Canadian Special Olympics National games in 2004 (Charlottetown, PEI), 2008 (Quebec City) and 2012 (St. Albert, Alberta). Whitehead also has been a referee at 3 World Special Olympics games: 2001 (Anchorage, Alaska) and 2008 (Boise, Idaho, USA).

As a Saskatchewan Special Olympics Floor Hockey Coach, Whitehead led his team to a Silver medal at Nationals in Edmonton in 1989. In 2013 he was an assistant coach for the Canadian Floor Hockey team at the World Games in Pyeong Chang, Korea.

Whitehead is also the co-chair of the Prince Albert Special Olympics Committee (since 2005), was a committee member for the 2011 Saskatchewan Special O Winter games in Prince Albert, Assistant coach in track and field for Team Saskatchewan at the Special O Canadian games in Vancouver (1990), on the Mission Staff for Special Olympics National Games in London, Ontario (2010) and a founding member of the Raider/Special Olympics Training for Life Power Breakfast fund raiser established in 2005.

Whitehead also has served as a coach and referee in the Prince Albert Minor Hockey Association and on the Board of Directors of the Prince Albert Raiders Hockey Club.

Whitehead has been named the Saskatchewan Special Olympics Male Coach of the Year (1993) and Prince Albert Sportsman of the Year (2010).