Fountain Valley to Draw in More than 4k for Special Olympics Championship Games

More than 1,100 athletes will compete for gold, silver, and bronze medals at Special Olympics Southern California’s 2014 Fall Games on December 13 – 14 in Fountain Valley and Irvine. Athletes will compete in six fall/winter sports –bowling, floor hockey, soccer, softball, tennis, and volleyball.

Fall Games is expected to attract more than 4,000 athletes, coaches, volunteers, and spectators over the course of the two-day event. As one of SOSC’s largest competitions, the competitions will feature athletes from San Luis Obispo County to San Diego County. The public is invited to attend this free event and cheer on the athletes as they compete.

“As one of our largest competitions of the year, Fall Games is a great community event that provides a fun environment for families to enjoy sports competition, live entertainment, and experience the meaning of true sportsmanship,” said Bill Shumard, President and CEO of Special Olympics Southern California. “Fall Games is a chance for those in the stands to see our athletes’ hard work, dedication, strength, and courage through sports.”

Special Olympics athletes will compete from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday. Bowling competitions will be held at Fountain Bowl; floor hockey at The RINKS – Irvine Inline; and soccer, softball, tennis, and volleyball at the Fountain Valley Recreation Center and Sports Park.

To keep the athletes prepared for their training and competitions, athletes can receive free health screenings at the Hilton Irvine on Friday, or at the Fountain Valley Sports Park and The Rinks - Irvine Inline in the Healthy Athletes Village on Saturday, and Sunday. Volunteer healthcare professionals and students provide podiatry, hearing, optometry, dental, dietary, and ­ fitness screenings for the athletes in a welcoming and fun environment.

The Festival provides athletes with a place to unwind after their competitions. Some of the things you’ll see at the Festival include CVS’s “Prize Wheel” booth, arts-n-crafts sponsored by the Reliance Steele, Coca-Cola’s fun games and giveaways, hot lunches, stage entertainment, and last but not least, SOSC’s merchandise company VeerOut Dynamics Inc., who will be selling “hot off the press” clothing and customized designs.

The 2014 Fall Games are made possible with the help of 300 coaches, 2,000 volunteers, and generous contributions from individuals and corporate sponsors, including presenting sponsor Reliance Steel & Aluminum Co, and venue and festival sponsors The Coca-Cola Company, Edwards Lifesciences, Mattel, the Resnick Family Foundation, and CVS Caremark.

For more information about the Fall Games Championship, visit www.sosc.org/fallgames or contact us at 562.502.1100.