Special Olympics to Hold Summer Games Presented by Pratt & Whitney

Special Olympics Connecticut will host its 2023 Summer Games presented by Pratt & Whitney, June 3rd and June 4th and June 10th and 11th. The event will give athletes of all abilities from across the state the opportunity to come together, compete in sports after attending weekly practices throughout the spring and vie for ribbons and medals for their accomplishments. Summer Games events and venues will include:

· Soccer, swimming and tennis at Fairfield University, 1073 North Benson Road, Fairfield on Saturday, June 3rd
Swimming will continue on Sunday, June 4th (A developmental swimming competition will also be held at Oxford High School, 61 Quaker Farms Road, Oxford, on Tuesday, May 23rd)

· Cycling at Yale West Campus, 100 West Campus Drive, Orange, on Saturday, June 3rd

· Track & Field at the Yale Dewitt Cuyler Athletic Complex, 252 Derby Avenue, West Haven, on Saturday, June 10th and Sunday, June 11th

· Racewalking and wheelchair events at Southern Connecticut State University, 501 Crescent Street, New Haven, on Saturday, June 10th and Sunday, June 11th

All events will go on from about 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information and to find out about volunteer opportunities, visit soct.org and follow Special Olympics Connecticut on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn. To contact Special Olympics Connecticut, email specialolympicsct@soct.org or call 203-230-1201.

In addition to the sports events that will take place, medical and health practitioners and students will volunteer their time to provide free health and fitness screenings, education and resources to athletes through Special Olympics Connecticut's Healthy Athletes® program. Healthy Athletes offerings will include:

· Healthy Hearing (audiology), Health Promotion (prevention and nutrition) and Massage Therapy at Fairfield University's Barone Campus Center on Saturday, June 3rd

· Special Smiles (dentistry) at Yale West Campus on Saturday, June 10th

· FUNfitness (physical therapy) at the Yale Dewitt Cuyler Athletic Complex on Saturday, June 10th

· Strong Minds (emotional health) and Fit Feet (podiatry) at Yale Dewitt Cuyler Athletic Complex on Saturday, June 10th and Sunday, June 11th

Olympic Town will also be set up at venues to offer athletes entertainment, games and activities to enjoy during the downtime between their events.

In addition to Presenting Sponsor Pratt & Whitney, Alexion, ESPN, Fairfield University, Foxwoods Resort Casino, the Knights of Columbus, NBC Sports and Suzio York Hill are Platinum Sponsors, and Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield, Henkel, Otis, Tokio Marine HCC, and Webster Bank, Gold Sponsors.

Coca-Cola Beverages Northeast, Linde, New York Life, NJM Insurance Group, and Starwood Property Trust are Bronze Sponsors. And, the American Legion, Guida’s Dairy, Synchrony, Teamsters Local 1150 and Yale New Haven Health are Supporting Sponsors. Media Sponsors include Hearst Connecticut Media Group, iHeart Radio Connecticut and NBC Connecticut and Telemundo Connecticut.

Healthy Athletes Sponsors are the Golisano Foundation, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, all National Sponsors; Webster Bank and HSA Bank, Presenting Sponsors; Delta Dental, a Gold Sponsor; the Connecticut Community Foundation and Eversource, Bronze Sponsors, and AXA XL, George A. & Grace L. Long Foundation, and Nick & Karen Zoccoli, Supporting Sponsors.

About Special Olympics Connecticut
Special Olympics Connecticut provides year-round sports training and competitions for close to10,000 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 190 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: Bozzuto's Inc., the Connecticut Elks Association, Enterprise, ESPN, Eversource, The Hometown Foundation, Law Enforcement Torch Run, NBC Connecticut and Telemundo Connecticut, Pratt & Whitney, Webster Bank and WWE.

Year-Round Suppliers: Adams Hometown Markets/IGA Hometown Supermarkets, Bozzuto's Inc., Coca-Cola Beverages Northeast, Foxwoods Resort Casino, Marcus Communications, N&D Sports, Pepperidge Farm, State of Connecticut Judicial Branch Community Service, WORX, Heart Connecticut Media Group, iHeart Radio Connecticut and NBC Connecticut and Telemundo Connecticut.