Michigan Special Olympics looks for volunteers
Courtesy of Special Olympics Mt Pleasant Office. Taken on February 5th, 2024, Schuss Village.
The Michigan Special Olympics will hold its annual three-day Winter Games events in Traverse City, Feb. 4 to Feb. 7, and is calling on up to 100 volunteers from Central Michigan University to assist in making that happen.
Registration for students who are interested in volunteering for the Winter Games will open at least 60 days before the event begins, or as early as Dec. 6.
Volunteers are expected to pay $50 to cover transportation, meals and hotel costs.
The duties of volunteers include but are not limited to: Setting up and preparation of the grounds for the events; moving equipment; and helping the athletes themselves, Bo Parker, director of communications and multimedia for Special Olympics office, said.
The Winter Games events are happening at multiple locations within Traverse City, including The Grand Traverse Resort, Schuss Village at Shanty Creek Resort and the Howe Arena in the Grand Traverse area.
It will feature six sports: snowboarding, snowshoeing, cross country skiing, alpine skiing, figure skating and speed skating.
Parker, who is located in the Mount Pleasant office, said the Special Olympics with its over 50-year history is part of an ongoing effort to make the world a more welcoming place for those who are participating in the games.
Through its events, like the Winter Games, the Special Olympics will create a “more inclusive world,” and “sports is the fabric of that," Parker said.
Although the exact number of athletes competing in this year’s games are not known as of now, Parker said that last year’s Winter Games brought a delegation of over 1,100, including 160-registered athletes to Traverse City.
