Special Olympics State Summer Games

media release:  Nearly 1,400 cornhole, powerlifting, soccer, tennis, and track & field athletes from across the state will converge on the campus of UW-Whitewater (907 Schwager Dr.) Thursday through Saturday, June 6-8, for the Special Olympics Wisconsin (SOWI) Summer Games.

A Parade of Athletes and Opening Ceremony at Perkins Stadium will welcome all athletes, coaches, family, and fans on Thursday, June 6 at 6:30 p.m. Cornhole will begin competition Friday morning with powerlifting and tennis starting Saturday. Soccer and track & field will take place over both days of competition Friday and Saturday. A full schedule of events can be found on the Summer Games page of the SOWI website.

Complementing the Summer Games, Special Olympics Wisconsin will host a series of health-focused activities, including four Healthy Athletes® events. Special Smiles® (oral health screenings and education), Opening Eyes® (vision screenings), and Health Promotion (nutrition, fitness, and health practices) will take place Friday. FitFeet (podiatry screenings) will be offered Saturday. Additionally, the HEAR Wisconsin Mobile Audiology Clinic will be stationed just outside the Williams Center for free hearing screenings. All SOWI athletes—not just those competing at Summer Games—are welcome to attend all Healthy Athletes events free of charge.

About 200 volunteers are still needed for multiple roles throughout the weekend and each will receive a free T-shirt. A great community service opportunity for all, Special Olympics Wisconsin needs continued support from the Whitewater area to help to bring these Summer Games to life. A direct link to register can be found here.

For more information about Summer Games and the Special Olympics Wisconsin movement itself, visit SpecialOlympicsWisconsin.org.