Athletes from Across Connecticut to Compete at Special Olympics Summer Games

Special Olympics Connecticut will host its 2026 Summer Games presented by Pratt & Whitney - an RTX Business for about 2,000 athletes and Unified Sports® partners Friday, June 5th, Saturday, June 6th and Sunday, June 7th. Athletes of all abilities will compete in cycling, soccer, swimming, tennis, and track & field. All of these events will be free and open to the public. For more information about Special Olympics Connecticut and its Summer Games, visit soct.org, email specialolympicsct@soct.org or call 203-230-1201. Updates and additional information will also be posted on Special Olympics Connecticut’s Facebook and Instagram pages.

This year’s Summer Games will start with an Opening Ceremony at Southern Connecticut State University's Jess Dow Field, 125 Wintergreen Avenue in New Haven, on Friday, June 5th at 6:30 p.m. The Opening Ceremony will include a parade of teams and coaches from across Connecticut along with the Final Leg of the Connecticut Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics. A competitive developmental swimming event will also take place on June 5th at Hamden Hall Beckerman Athletic Center, 255 Skiff Street, Hamden at 1:30 p.m.

Swimming and track & field events will take place on the Southern Connecticut State University campus at 501 Crescent Street in New Haven on Saturday and Sunday. Soccer and tennis competition will be held at the Hamden Hall Beckerman Athletic Center on Saturday and Sunday. Cycling competition will be at Yale West Campus, 100 West Campus Drive in Orange, on Saturday. These events will take place on Saturday from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. A Victory Dance for participating athletes will be held at Southern Connecticut State University on Saturday evening, 7 to 9 p.m.

In addition to celebrating athletics and Special Olympics Connecticut athletes, the Summer Games will also bring attention to Special Olympics Connecticut’s public health initiatives with Healthy Athletes® at Summer Games. As part of the Summer Games, Special Olympics Connecticut will once again offer free health screenings, education, and wellness resources through its nationally recognized Special Olympics Healthy Athletes® program.

Licensed medical professionals, healthcare practitioners, and students will volunteer their time to support athletes’ overall health and well-being, helping identify unmet health needs, providing guidance to support lifelong wellness, and supporting follow-up care through referrals to healthcare providers. Healthy Athletes® at Summer Games will be taking place in Southern Connecticut State University’s Michael J. Adanti Student Center on Saturday, June 6th from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and on Sunday, June 7th from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Healthy Athletes® activities will also be held at the other venues.

In addition to Presenting Sponsor Pratt & Whitney - an RTX Business, this year's Summer Games sponsors include Diamond Sponsors - The Richard P. Garmany Fund at the Greater Hartford Gives Foundation, NBC Sports, ShopRite and the Nick and Karen Zoccoli Charitable Fund, Platinum Sponsors - Foxwoods Resort Casino, Hamden Hall Country Day School, Knights of Columbus - Connecticut State Council, Safe Harbor Marinas, Southern Connecticut State University and Webster Bank.

Also, Gold Sponsors - ESPN, Gymnastics Revolution, Henkel, Liberty Bank, Noble Gas and Soapy Noble Express Car Wash, Otis, The L. Suzio York Hill Companies, Synchrony, and Tokio Marine HCC, Silver Sponsor - Coca-Cola Beverages Northeast, Bronze Sponsors - Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield, Linde, NJM Insurance Group, and Yale New Haven Health.

And, Supporting Sponsors - American Legion, FillerUp, the Glastonbury Rotary Club, and GT Independence, Contributing Sponsors - NuMotion, Teamsters Local 1150 and Turner Construction and Media Sponsors Hearst Connecticut Media Group and NBC Connecticut and Telemundo Connecticut.

About Special Olympics Connecticut

Special Olympics Connecticut provides year-round sports training and competition opportunities for nearly 14,000 athletes of all ages with intellectual disabilities and Unified Sports® partners - their teammates without disabilities. Through the joy of sport, the Special Olympics movement transforms lives and communities throughout the state and in 200 countries around the world by promoting good health and fitness and inspiring inclusion and respect for people of all abilities, on and off the playing field. (www.soct.org)

Partner Sponsors: The Connecticut Elks Association, Enterprise, ESPN, Eversource, Foxwoods Resort Casino and the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation, the Knights of Columbus, the Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics Connecticut, the Mohegan Tribe, NBC Connecticut and Telemundo Connecticut, Pratt & Whitney, an RTX Business, and Webster Bank. Year-Round Suppliers: Coca-Cola Beverages Northeast, Hearst Connecticut Media Group, N&D Sports, Pepperidge Farm, and WORX.