Special Olympics Spring Games Opening Ceremony Is May 3

CHICAGO, IL - Two Chicago sports celebrities will be the honorary coaches at the Opening Ceremony of the 2018 Special Olympics Chicago Spring Games. Team USA Olympic Gold Medalist Kendall Coyne and former Chicago White Sox player and coach Harold Baines will welcome the some 4,500 Special Olympic athletes at the ceremony planned for Thursday, May 3 at Soldier Field.

The official start of this year's games will be marked at the event, which will include the official lighting of the Olympic torch. Athletes from the Shabbona Park Sharks, as well as officers from the Chicago Police Department and Cook County Sheriff’s Office/Chicago Police officers, will carry the torch as a celebration of the start of the 50th annual games begins.

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The games will follow the opening ceremony from May 7-11 at Dunbar Park, 300 E. 31st St. in Chicago. They will include more than 25 track and field events for participants ages 8 and older.

Wheelchair events will include 25 and 100-meter races, 30-meter slalom, softball throw, tennis ball throw and shot put.

The opening ceremony is free and open to the public. The ceremony will begin at 10 a.m. is expected to be over by 12:30 p.m. Free parking is available at the Waldron Deck at Soldier Field for all attendees.

Photo provided by Special Olympics Chicago