Volunteers needed for Special Olympics summer games

PENNSYLVANIA (WTAJ) — In less than two weeks, thousands of people will be in Centre County for the 2024 Special Olympics Summer Games .

The games will take place from June 6 – June 8 at Penn State University. The event is the largest statewide competition and it brings over 2,000 athletes and 750 coaches, but they are still in need of volunteers.

With competitions in basketball, equestrian, golf, gymnastics, softball, swimming and tennis it’s the highlight of the year for some of the athletes that compete. However, organizers say that they are a third of the way to filling over 2,000 positions.

“It’s not that they help. They are our lifeblood. We could not do, I don’t think any nonprofit can survive these days without volunteers. But for us, it’s critical because we have so many venues and so many places they can volunteer,” Sue Paterno, a member of the Special Olympics PA State Board said.

You can volunteer for all three days or just one or two . Most shifts are three to four hours long. Volunteers help with hundreds of different things including supporting competitors, awards, scorekeeping, setting up for events and more.

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Volunteers who are younger than 18 must have permission from a parent or guardian. You can learn more about volunteering and how you can sign up on the Special Olympics PA website .

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