Union Mutual Presents Special Olympics Vermont Summer Games
Union Mutual, a central Vermont-based insurance provider, will present the 2016 Special Olympics Vermont Summer Games June 3-5 at the University of Vermont. Athletes will compete in swimming, track and field, bocce, and softball.
“We are proud to build on the relationship established last summer between Union Mutual and Special Olympics Vermont,” Union Mutual President and CEO Michael Nobles said. “The Summer Games are a chance to showcase the courage, determination and pure joy for these tremendous athletes, and we are honored to once again share in that experience with them. The experience for the athletes and our volunteers was life-changing in 2015, so Union Mutual has decided to make a long-term commitment to Special Olympics Vermont and will be the lead sponsor of the summer games for the next three years. As a Vermont-based company founded on the promise of helping our neighbors, we look forward to many more fantastic weekends alongside the athletes and their families.”
Summer Games is Special Olympics Vermont’s largest competition event of the year featuring nearly 500 athletes. Teams travel from every Vermont county for the opportunity to compete in a statewide tournament against the best athletes in each division.
The weekend begins Friday, June 3 with Opening Ceremonies in Patrick Gym and the culmination of the Law Enforcement Torch Run. Darin’ Erin Cofiell, Sports Director for Local 22 & Local 44, will once again emcee the event and celebrity guest, Andy Newell, will speak. Newell is a Vermont native sponsored by Union Mutual and three-time Olympic Cross Country skier who has been competing internationally on World Cups and World Championships for the past ten years. Opening Ceremonies is open to the public and all are welcome to come experience the joy.
Competition will take place throughout the weekend. Athletes will also have access to free health screenings in four disciplines: Healthy Hearing (audiology), Special Smiles (dentistry), Health Promotion (nutrition and wellness), and Opening Eyes (vision) thanks to a large team of local practitioners and students who volunteer their time and expertise.
A large team of Union Mutual volunteers will run Olympic Town activities and the award ceremonies throughout the weekend. “We are thrilled to have Union Mutual on board for another three years,” says Lisa DeNatale, President and CEO of Special Olympics Vermont. “Their staff is so invested in helping to create a positive and memorable experience for our athletes on and off the field.”
Additional volunteer opportunities for the 2016 Summer Games are listed on the Special Olympics Vermont website. For more information and to register, visit: