Special Olympics New York is coming to the Capital Region for its 2017 Summer Games from June 16 to 18 and volunteers are needed in a variety of capacities.
More than 1,500 athletes and coaches from across the state will travel to the Capital Region to participate in eight Olympic-style sports. Competitions include athletics (track & field), aquatics, basketball, bowling, powerlifting, gymnastics, tennis and volleyball. Siena College will host the games with Hudson Valley Community College, the University at Albany, The Sage Colleges, World Class Gymnastics and Spare Time Bowling also serving as competition sites.
Three types of volunteer opportunities are offered.
1. Service volunteer — 16-years-old (13- to 15-years-old if accompanied by an adult)
This is a hands-on role with jobs ranging from staging the athletes, score keeping, fetching tennis balls, escorting athletes, etc. This role requires volunteers be available for the length of the event. Example: Competitions begin around 6:30 to 7 a.m. and end around 4 p.m.
2. Volunteer to cheer — open to any age
This puts “fans in the stands,” a very important role that ensures the community comes out to cheer on the athletes.
3. Social Ambassador — 16-years-old (13- to 15-years-old if accompanied by an adult)
Volunteers in this role are asked to post pictures, videos, and testimonials on social media platforms using the state games hashtags #SONYstates, #Siena and #SpecialOlympicsNY.
(Volunteers in roles #2 and #3 are able to come and go as their schedule permits.)
To learn more about the Summer Games and to register as a volunteer, please visit specialolympics-ny.org/summer-games/.
Special Olympics encourages friends, companies and organizations to consider volunteering as a group. Please contact Lauren Maneri at lmaneri@nyso.org about group volunteering.
Special Olympics New York provides year-round sports training and competition opportunities in more than 22 sports. Currently, more than 68,000 athletes are in Special Olympics training programs throughout the state. Through involvement in Special Olympics, athletes with intellectual disabilities gain confidence, improve their physical fitness and experience all the benefits of sports participation.
We hope to see you at Summer Games in June!
Published: Wed, 17 May 2017 12:16:40 +0000 by j.hoyt