Vermont Business MagazineUnion Mutual of Vermont presents the 2017 Special Olympics Vermont Summer GamesJune 3-4at the University of Vermont. Nearly 600 athletes will compete in basketball and bocce.The weekend begins onSaturday, June 3with preliminary bocce and basketball games. The Opening Ceremony event will take place in Patrick Gym featuring the culmination of the Law Enforcement Torch Run. Darren Perron, award-winning reporter and Executive Producer for WCAX-Channel 3 News will emcee the event and celebrity guest, Amanda Pelkey presented by Union Mutual, will address the crowd. Pelkey is a Montpelier native and member of the US Women’s National Hockey Team. Opening Ceremonies is open to the public and all are welcome to come experience the joy.
“This is the third year of our partnership with Special Olympics Vermont,” says Alexis Markolf, Director of Marketing for Union Mutual, a Montpelier-based property-casualty insurance carrier. “Our staff looks forward to the opportunity to volunteer and connect with athletes at Summer Games each year. We’re very proud of what we’ve been able to accomplish together.”
For 2017, Special Olympics Vermont is has reorganized its sports seasons in order to provide more high quality sports training and competition opportunities for children and adults with intellectual disabilities. The thirteen Olympic-type sports offered are now organized into four distinct sports season: Winter, Summer, Fall, and Holiday Games. For all statewide competitions, teams travel from every Vermont county for the opportunity to compete in a statewide tournament against the best athletes in each division.
Athletes will also have access to free health screenings in three disciplines: Healthy Hearing (audiology), Special Smiles (dentistry), and Opening Eyes (vision) thanks to a large team of local practitioners and students who volunteer their time and expertise.
A large team of Union Mutual volunteers will run activities for athletes throughout the weekend. “Our partnership with Union Mutual enhances the Summer Games experience for our athletes,” says Justin Graham, Program Director for Special Olympics Vermont. “Their staff is so welcoming and committed to creating a fun and memorable event.”
Additional volunteer opportunities for the 2017 Summer Games are listed on the Special Olympics Vermont website. For more information and to register, visit: http://specialolympicsvermont.org/volunteer/current-opportunities/