Beginning March 4, Special Olympics Montana will hold its annual State Winter Games at Whitefish Mountain Resort. It’s a weekend of camaraderie and competition, Pete Olsen, vice president of sports and competition for the organization, said.
On Sunday, March 4, the festivities begin with the Parade of Athletes, taking place in downtown Whitefish at 4 p.m. The public is invited and encouraged to line the parade route from Third Street to Railway Street to cheer on the athletes, Olsen said.
Following the parade, the opening ceremonies will begin in Depot Park, which will include traditional lighting of the Special Olympics Cauldron, as well as other activities.
“It’s an opportunity for us to go through some of the pageantry involved in Special Olympics or any Olympic event,” Olsen said. “We love to have people come and watch the parade, watch opening ceremonies.”
The preliminary rounds of events begin in earnest on Monday, March 5, with alpine and Nordic skiing, snowboarding and snowshoeing. The finals and awards ceremonies take place on Tuesday, March 6. About 350 athletes will be participating in the events.
Special Olympics Montana provides opportunities for children and adults with intellectual disabilities to participate in sports, Olsen said. The Winter Games split athletes into their divisions based on age, gender, and ability, he said, which allows everyone to compete.
Participating athletes will also have a chance to contend on the international stage. The gold medal winners in each round can be nominated for a drawing, the winners of which will move on to the World Winter Games in Korea in 2013.
Olsen said his organization will send a male downhill skier and a female snowshoe competitor to the world games.
Volunteers are always welcome at the Winter Games, Olsen said; even same-day volunteers will find a place. Just having a crowd on the mountain cheering for the athletes adds to the championship feel, he said.
“We certainly have had 500-plus people on the mountain to cheer and support them. We’d love to have 2,000 if we could,” Olsen said.
This is the 17th year that the Special Olympics Winter Games have been held at Whitefish Mountain Resort, and Olsen said the relationship between the organization and the ski hill is paramount to the positive experience over the three-day event.
“They’re unbelievable the way they roll out the red carpet for us,” he said.
Riley Polumbus, the resort’s spokesperson, said the relationship is important on the resort’s end as well.
“I know a lot our employees and the volunteers in the Whitefish area really look forward to this event,” she said.
It’s fun to work with the athletes, Polumbus said, and it is important to continue to build on that foundation of support.
“It’s another one of those events where our community rallies around these athletes,” she said.
For volunteer inquiries, contact Karen Kimball at 406-837-0319 or [email protected]. For more information on Special Olympics Montana, visit www.somt.org.