More than two-thousand athletes will march through Iowa State University’s Hilton Coliseum in Ames for tonight’s (Thursday) opening ceremonies of the Iowa Special Olympics Summer Games. Games director Seann Demaris says the event returned last year after being called off in 2020 due to COVID-19, while a scaled-back edition was held in 2021. Demaris says they’re now back to pre-pandemic levels.

He says tonight’s opening ceremonies are always a beautiful, unifying way to open the friendly competition.

The summer games will be held through Saturday for children and adults with intellectual disabilities in sports including: swimming, soccer, tennis, track and field, bocce and cycling. This July will mark 55 years for the Special Olympics, founded by Eunice Kennedy Shriver.