CHARLESTON, W.Va. — More than 600 Special Olympians from 26 counties will participate in the annual Special Olympics Summer Games through Sunday in Charleston.
“We hope to see a lot of smiles, a lot of high-fives, we want to treat them to a great experience and send them home with something they will remember for a long, long time,” Corbett said.
More than 200 volunteer coaches will be with the athletes along with hundreds of volunteers from in and around the Charleston area. Corbett said the athletes reconnect with those volunteers each year.
“I think our Special Olympics athletes appreciate the effort the volunteers put in, the encouragement the volunteers provide to the athletes,” he said.
Organizers will keep a close eye on the impact of the heat and humidity on those participating. Corbett said the Kanawha County Ambulance Authority will once again monitor the situation and provide any assistance that’s necessary.
The events will be spread out at several venues around Charleston with most activities happening at Laidley Field. Opening ceremonies are scheduled for Friday night at 8:30 at Haddad Riverfront Park.
“For a lot of our Special Olympics athletes this may their first time to ever visit here or their second time. It’s a novel experience that they’ve been thinking about for many months and we think they are going to have a great time,” Corbett said.