Beginning on Sunday, Special Olympics of Pennsylvania will be returning to the Johnstown area. This will mark the tenth straight year that the statewide Winter Games will be held in the Johnstown area. And it is our chance to get out and support a worthy cause.
Special Olympics was created to provide an opportunity for children and adults with intellectual disabilities to participate in Olympic type sports. Pennsylvania’s chapter was officially recognized in 1970. The vision of Special Olympics is a world where everyone is accepted and valued regardless of their abilities or disabilities. The individual athletes that compete are provided with free training which gives them a chance to develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage and experience the joy of competition and achievement. It is a life changing opportunity for both the athletes and volunteers.
The 35thAnnual Winter Games will kick off on Sunday, February 13, 2011 with the opening ceremonies Central Park in downtown Johnstown. The venue has been moved from previous years to the downtown location. This will provide a chance for the community to become more involved. They will start with an athletes’ parade starting about 6:20 pm. The route will travel from the Holiday Inn to Central Park and will precede the torch. The official ceremonies start in the park at 6:30 and will include the lighting of the Olympic Caldron.
The competition starts on Monday, February 14 and concludes on Tuesday, February 15 at four venues around Johnstown. The athletes will be competing at the Cambria County War Memorial Arena, Planet Ice in Richland, Blue Knob Ski Resort 45 minutes east of Johnstown, and Hidden Valley Ski Resort about an hour south of Johnstown.
Skating events will be held at the Cambria County War Memorial Arena and Planet Ice. Figure skating events will be held at the War Memorial Monday and concluding Tuesday with the awards and closing ceremonies scheduled for 1:30 pm Tuesday. Competitions in speed skating will take place at Planet Ice in Richland. The preliminaries take place on Monday and the finals on Tuesday starting at 9:30 am. The awards and closing ceremonies for the speed skating will take place at Planet Ice at the conclusion of the events.
If outdoor sports are more your speed, then try jumping over to Blue Knob Resort. Blue Knob will be the site for the cross country ski and snowshoe events. The time trials are scheduled for Monday with the finals scheduled for Tuesday for all events here except for the 2.5 kilometer cross country event. The 2.5 kilometer finals will take place on Monday afternoon. The awards and closing ceremonies at Blue Knob are scheduled for 1:00 pm on Tuesday.
The Alpine skiing events will be held at Hidden Valley Ski Resort. Preliminaries begin with the giant slalom time trials at 10:30 am on Monday. The giant slalom finals are scheduled for 2:00 pm Monday afternoon. Tuesday will bring the finals for the slalom, super G, and entry level events.
The public is welcome to come on out to any of the events to watch or help out. If you are interested in volunteering, stop by any of the venues during the event and let them know. There is no cost to watch the events. However, the events of Special Olympics of Pennsylvania are supported through donations. So ask how you can support the cause or visit the website for more information on becoming involved with Special Olympics. Come on out and cheer on the athletes and be touched with their courage and persistence. For more specific details on the scheduled events check out the schedule of events section in the coach’s handbook.
Good luck athletes and have fun!
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