Special Olympics Pennsylvania Summer Games Return for 54th Year

After air quality concerns forced their cancelation last year, Special Olympics Pennsylvania (SOPA) will celebrate its 54th Summer Games Thursday through Saturday at Penn State’s University Park campus.

Opening ceremonies will take place starting at 7:15 p.m. Thursday at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park. The ceremonies will include a celebration with State College Spikes, dance contests, races, scoreboard games and the lighting of the torch.

More than 1,650 athletes, 600 coaches and 1,000 volunteers will participate in SOPA’s largest statewide competition.

Over the three days, athletes will be competing throughout campus in aquatics, athletics, basketball, equestrian, golf, gymnastics, softball and tennis. They also will be offered free health screenings and educational events at Johnston Commons through the Healthy Athletes programs.

See the full schedule here.

Special Olympics Pennsylvania provides year-round training and competition in 21 Olympic-type sports to more than 13,000 children and adults with intellectual disabilities or closely related developmental disabilities. 

The first SOPA Summer Games consisted of a track and field meet at West Chester University with 135 athletes. This will be the 34th year the games have been held at Penn State as the event has grown exponentially.

Last year’s games were canceled when the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection declared a Code Red Air Quality alert for areas including Centre County as smoky air from Canadian wildfires moved through the Northeast and Midwest.