Dear Ithaca College Community,
In case you have not heard, we are less than two weeks away from Ithaca College playing host to the 2022 Special Olympics New York State Summer Games! This year’s event marks the much-anticipated resumption of the Summer Games following a nearly three-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic and will be taking place on Friday, June 24, and Saturday, June 25. It also kicks off the first year of a three-year partnership with the Summer Games making their home in Ithaca in 2022, 2023, and 2024!
As the primary host, Ithaca College will be the main site for many of the eight total competition events taking place. Events being held on campus include basketball, gymnastics, swimming, tennis, powerlifting and volleyball. IC will also host the Opening and Closing Ceremonies on Friday and Saturday evening, respectively.
Now is the perfect opportunity to show your IC spirit by getting involved in supporting this incredible organization and extending a warm welcome to the nearly 1,200 athletes and coaches from across New York State participating in this year’s Summer Games. There are numerous ways to actively support the festivities and we need your help to reach our goal of 800 volunteers to support this year’s games. Volunteer jobs include: venue setup and breakdown, parking assistance, meal distribution, hydration stations, athlete escorts, timekeepers, scorekeepers, and much more! No prior sports experience is necessary to support many of the volunteer roles available.
To volunteer, visit the following link to complete a Registration submission, follow the steps to create your user profile, and select volunteer opportunities for the “2022 State Summer Games” to view the full list of jobs available. You can volunteer for multiple activities if you wish to do so.
If you are part of an organization or group of individuals that want to get involved, contact Sara Massa at smassa@nyso.org for additional information.
If your schedule does not lend itself to be able to serve as a volunteer, consider stopping by one of the various events occurring throughout the day on Saturday, June 25, and show your support as a spectator to the action. Attendance is open and free of charge for all individuals and a fun way to create a memorable experience for the competing athletes!
We look forward to hopefully sharing this weekend with you and showing how our Ithaca College family rallies together to support a great cause!
Sincerely,
The Summer Games Planning Committee