Celebrating the Spirit of Service
Special Olympics New Hampshire honors Melissa Drew and the Special Smiles volunteer leadership team for their extraordinary commitment to our athletes and community.
October 27, 2026
Volunteers make so much possible at Special Olympics New Hampshire.
They coach. They organize. They fundraise. They share their professional expertise. They create opportunities for athletes to compete, grow, build friendships and feel a true sense of belonging.
At the 2026 Spirit of NH Awards, Special Olympics New Hampshire was proud to celebrate two incredible examples of that spirit of service: longtime volunteer Melissa Drew and the Special Olympics Healthy Athletes Special Smiles volunteer leadership team.
Both were nominated by SONH in recognition of the time, talent and care they have dedicated to our athletes. And during this year’s celebration, Melissa Drew received the Outstanding Volunteer Service Award in her category.
A Legacy Built Around Athletes
For more than 20 years, Melissa Drew has dedicated herself to creating opportunities for Special Olympics athletes. After establishing a local program in Merrimack, she later founded the Winnipesaukee Warriors, which has grown from just five athletes to more than 80 under her leadership.
As Local Program Coordinator and coach, Melissa has a hand in nearly every part of the program. She organizes athlete registrations and competition entries, manages uniforms and equipment, recruits and supports coaches, communicates with families, plans practices and competitions, and works to ensure athletes have what they need to succeed. Her service extends statewide, and she represented New Hampshire as a coach at both the 2022 and 2026 Special Olympics USA Games.
Her commitment doesn’t stop when a competition ends.
Throughout the year, Melissa supports fundraising efforts including the Penguin Plunge, Winni Dip, Law Enforcement Torch Run Tip-A-Cop events, along with local fundraisers that help the Winnipesaukee Warriors provide uniforms, equipment, celebrations, travel support and additional experiences for athletes.
But perhaps Melissa’s impact is best seen in the community she has built around her.
Athletes know she will advocate for them. Families know she will do everything she can to help their loved ones succeed. Coaches and volunteers turn to her for guidance and support. Through more than two decades of service, she has consistently put opportunities for athletes at the center of her work.
Her Outstanding Volunteer Service Award is a fitting recognition of a legacy that continues to grow with every athlete, family member, coach and volunteer she welcomes into the Special Olympics community.
Creating Healthier Smiles and a More Inclusive Future
Our second Spirit of NH honoree demonstrates another powerful way volunteers make a lasting impact.
The Special Olympics Healthy Athletes Special Smiles volunteer leadership team brings together dental professionals from NHTI and the University of New England who recruit, coordinate and mentor dental and dental hygiene students to support Special Smiles at the SONH State Summer Games. Their work makes free oral health screenings, oral hygiene education, fluoride applications and referrals for follow-up care available to Special Olympics athletes.
The partnership itself has remarkable staying power. NHTI’s programs have supported Special Smiles for more than 20 years, while the University of New England has traveled from Maine to participate for more than seven years. Although new students join the effort each year, the volunteer leaders continue to recruit, train and mentor them, sustaining a culture of service around Special Smiles.
The result reaches beyond the screenings athletes receive.
By introducing future dental professionals to athletes with intellectual disabilities in a hands-on clinical setting, the program gives students experience providing compassionate, patient-centered care to people with diverse needs. The nomination describes a model of service that benefits today’s athletes while helping prepare future healthcare professionals to provide more inclusive care throughout their careers.
Two Honorees, One Incredible Volunteer Community
Melissa and the Special Smiles volunteer leadership team serve Special Olympics New Hampshire in very different ways. But their stories share something important.
Again and again, they choose to show up.
They give their time. They share their expertise. They create opportunities. And through that service, they help ensure Special Olympics athletes are welcomed, supported and given every opportunity to succeed.
That same spirit can be found in volunteers throughout Special Olympics New Hampshire. From coaches and Local Program leaders to event volunteers, healthcare professionals, fundraisers and countless others working behind the scenes, their collective commitment helps make this movement possible.
We are incredibly proud to see Melissa Drew and our Special Smiles volunteer leadership team recognized through the 2026 Spirit of NH Awards, and especially proud to celebrate Melissa’s Outstanding Volunteer Service Award.
But most of all, we’re grateful.
To Melissa, to our Special Smiles volunteers, and to every person who chooses to give their time to Special Olympics New Hampshire: thank you for showing up for our athletes and for helping build a stronger, healthier and more inclusive New Hampshire.