It was a beautiful evening to celebrate Special Olympics Wisconsin’s (SOWI) 40th anniversary at the biggest Opening Ceremony of the year, which went off without a hitch for the nearly 2,000 athletes, their coaches, family members and law enforcement officers who attended the 2012 State Summer Games at UW-Stevens Point on Thursday, June 7. The Stevens Point High School dance team joined in the fun to pump up the crowd during the joyous athlete parade into Colman Track. During the ceremony, SOWI athlete Peter Chumas wowed the crowd with an inspiring story of his journey as someone with intellectual disabilities throughout the decades.

Spirits stayed sky high into Friday during athletics, soccer, and aquatics events as fans cheered loudly with items borrowed from the Family and Friends table. Outrageous fans were sought out by the Fan Mobile and entered into the Ultimate Fan competition judged by athletes Jeffrey Jenks and James Serocki from Agency 7-23 Lake Mills Area SO. The Ultimate Fans this year were the Mukwonago Mustangs! Fun activities in Victory Village, including Zumba, karaoke, and the Central Wisconsin Country-Line Dancers, kept athletes moving all day long. The Wal-Mart Healthy Athletes Program, where athletes received free on-site health care screenings, welcomed visitors throughout the day on Friday in the Health Enhancement Center, including a special tour to introduce the disciplines to Young Athlete families. The Young Athletes Program held their 3rd annual Culminating Event that featured a 50 meter dash, softball throw, and skills exhibition to ensure a smooth transition for these future stars into the traditional program.

The fun continued Friday night at the 60s-themed Closing Ceremony which featured the Klements Racing Sausages, tie-dye shirts galore and of course tons of awesome dance moves!

Power lifting, aquatics, and athletics competitions took place on Saturday as the beautiful weather continued while the Healthy Athletes Program held Healthy Hearing screenings at the UW-Stevens Point Audiology Clinic.

Thank you to all who attended and helped make the 33rd annual State Summer Games a success!