Athletes with intellectual disabilities from across Iowa will be heading to Ames later this week for the 30th straight year the city’s hosting the Special Olympics Summer Games. Shane Kiesner, spokesman for Special Olympics Iowa, says the three days of events will begin Thursday on the Iowa State University campus.
Kiesner says, “We have nearly 2,700 Special Olympics Iowa athletes and unified partners who will be traveling from across the state to compete in competitions in aquatics, which is swimming, athletics, which is track and field, bocce, cycling, soccer skills, team soccer, tennis and developmental track and field events.”
The annual Law Enforcement Torch Run will kick off the games on Thursday and Kiesner says he’s grateful for the dedicated backing.”We’re very blessed here in Iowa to have very strong support from law enforcement across the state through the Law Enforcement Torch Run,” he says. “They will start out in Des Moines and they will run the torch to the Opening Ceremonies at Hilton Coliseum on the Iowa State University campus.”
Kiesner credits some 3,000 volunteers from central Iowa who will be helping the events to run smoothly through Saturday. Learn more at: www.soiowa.org
(Reporting by Pat Powers, KQWC, Webster City)