Turning Plastic into Gratitude

How the Concord Golden Eagles Are Giving Back to Their Community

July 20 2026

Every successful team has people behind the scenes who help make sport possible.

For the Concord Golden Eagles, that includes community partners who open their doors, welcome athletes into their facilities, and create places where they can train, compete, and grow.

This summer, the team was able to say thank you in a unique and personal way.

After collecting more than 1,000 pounds of recycled plastic over the past year, the Concord Golden Eagles presented a recycled plastic bench to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Concord in appreciation for allowing the team to use its basketball court for practices. The bench serves as a permanent reminder of the partnership that has helped the team train and thrive for years.

The idea began with Concord Golden Eagles volunteer Tracy Mansfield, who first learned about the recycling initiative through a Facebook group. She immediately saw an opportunity to bring the team together around a project that reflected one of the core values athletes learn through sport: appreciating those who help make success possible.

Rather than collecting plastic for themselves, the team set out with a different goal. They wanted every 1,000 pounds they collected to become a thank you to a community partner who has supported the Concord Golden Eagles.

Over the course of the year, athletes, coaches, families, friends, and local supporters collected hundreds of pounds of plastic bags and wrap. Every contribution moved the team one step closer to recognizing the people who make their opportunities possible.

The first bench now sits at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Concord, complete with a plaque recognizing the church’s generous support of the team. The plaque also honors the athlete and family who first connected the Concord Golden Eagles with the church years ago. Although that family has since moved away, the relationship they helped establish continues to provide athletes with a welcoming place to practice.

For Special Olympics athletes, sport is about far more than competition. It’s about learning responsibility, building relationships, working toward shared goals, and understanding the importance of giving back to the communities that support you.

This project brought all of those lessons to life.

Collecting 1,000 pounds of plastic wasn’t something one person could accomplish alone. It required athletes, coaches, volunteers, families, and community members working together toward a common goal, much like they do every time they train and compete.

And the work isn’t finished.

The Concord Golden Eagles have already collected another 800 pounds of recyclable plastic, putting them just 200 pounds away from earning their next bench. That one is already destined for Merrimack Valley High School as a thank you for allowing the team to use its track for practices.

With every pound collected, the team is proving that the impact of sport reaches well beyond the court or the track.

They’re building stronger relationships, caring for the environment, and finding meaningful ways to recognize the people whose generosity helps make Special Olympics New Hampshire possible.

Sometimes, a simple bench can tell a much bigger story.