Presented by United Technologies, the Special Olympics Connecticut 2020 summer games will be held at ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½ÊÓƵÎÞÏÞÖƹۿ´ from June 12 to 14. The Opening Ceremony scheduled for Friday, June 12 will herald the start of a weekend of swimming, soccer, tennis, and racewalking contests on campus.
ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½ÊÓƵÎÞÏÞÖƹۿ´ is pleased to announce it will host the Special Olympics Connecticut 2020 summer games, presented by United Technologies. Serving as the site for the summer games Opening Ceremony on the evening of Friday, June 12, the University will also host swimming, soccer, tennis, and racewalking contests throughout the weekend. Athletes of all abilities from across the state will participate in a variety of sports competitions and demonstrations of strength and determination.
“We are excited and feel extremely fortunate to hold our summer games in Fairfield, and are immensely grateful for the warm, accommodating, and generous partner we have in ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½ÊÓƵÎÞÏÞÖƹۿ´ to make this possible. We know that caring individuals at ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½ÊÓƵÎÞÏÞÖƹۿ´ and the University’s campus – with its elite sports facilities – will make the games an amazing experience for our athletes," said Beau Doherty, president of Special Olympics Connecticut, "and, we hope our presence here will bring the joy of inclusive sports to more people in Fairfield County.”
“Special Olympics is a unique global movement that promotes the human spirit through the transformative power of athletics, and through the fellowship that brings local communities together,” said ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½ÊÓƵÎÞÏÞÖƹۿ´ President Mark R. Nemec, PhD. “ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½ÊÓƵÎÞÏÞÖƹۿ´’s own mission as a Jesuit and Catholic University is to support the human spirit and personal transformation through cura personalis – care for the mind, the body, and the spirit. So we are delighted to join in this partnership to host the Special Olympics Connecticut summer games, to share our facilities, to engage our staff and University family with the Special Olympics family, and to partake in this wonderful work together.”
In addition to serving as a venue for sports competition, Fairfield will also offer the Healthy Athletes® Village on Saturday and Sunday, which provides free health screenings to participating athletes by volunteer medical practitioners. Part of Special Olympics’ year-round program, Healthy Athletes® gives participants access to health care and education to improve their physical and emotional well-being. Hearing, vision, and dental screenings will be some of the services offered during the summer games, while free prescription eyeglasses and mouth guards will be distributed to athletes at no cost.
Fairfield Warde High School, another new venue for the summer games, will be the site for track & field competitions, and Yale West Campus in Orange, Conn., will serve as the grounds for the cycling contests on Saturday and Sunday. Overall, more than 2,500 athletes (with intellectual disabilities) and Unified Sports® partners (their teammates without intellectual disabilities) are expected to take part in the Special Olympics Connecticut 2020 summer games, alongside more than 500 coaches and 2,900 volunteers.
To find out more about Special Olympics Connecticut, visit soct.org.
