PA’s Special Olympics Summer Games canceled in State College due to poor air quality

Special Olympics Pennsylvania canceled the Summer Games scheduled to begin Thursday and run into the weekend in State College due to air quality concerns.

Centre County, and much of the East Coast, has been blanketed in a smoky haze from wildfires in Canada which is affecting the air quality. State College’s air quality on Thursday is listed as “unhealthy” and predicted to be “moderate” on Friday, according to the U.S. Air Quality Index.

“(Special Olympics Pennsylvania’s) mission is to provide year-round training and athletic competition for individuals with intellectual disabilities (ID). The individuals we serve, people with ID, have higher rates of adverse health conditions and are therefore at greater risk. We have been closely monitoring weather and air quality conditions in the State College area and the forecast through this weekend. Based on the best information available to us from a variety of reputable sources, we do not believe conditions would permit us to safely conduct these Games,” the release states.

It continues: “This decision was not made lightly as we know how much time and effort was invested by so many staff and volunteers in preparing for this event.”

Athletes were beginning to arrive in State College Thursday with the opening ceremonies planning for this evening. The Summer Games is SOPA’s largest statewide competition, bringing more than 2,000 athletes, 800 coaches and 1,000 volunteers from across the state together for the three-day event. Eight sports — aquatics, athletics, basketball, equestrian, golf, gymnastics, softball and tennis — are part of the Summer Games.

“While canceling events is truly disappointing for athletes who have trained for months to compete — as well as for the volunteers, family, friends and our staff and board who support them and look forward to cheering for them — we know that our love of sport doesn’t compare to the importance of protecting the health and safety of all involved,” the release states.

Theresa Miller’s 10-year-old daughter Maddie, of Centre County, was set to participated in the Summer Games for the first time this year. The cancellation is upsetting, but understandable, Miller said.

“It’s really absolutely understandable. I mean, we’re a community of many people with different needs, and we need to make sure that everybody’s safe. I totally understand that,” Miller said. “My daughter took it really well. I think I’m taking it harder than she is. I think it was really helpful that we had a showcase earlier in the season with just our group, so ... I’m really grateful that the Special Olympics program gave us that chance to have our own. Otherwise, we wouldn’t have had any showcase this year. That would have been really sad.”

Miller said they had already planned to participate in the next Summer Games, and by that time, her son will be able to compete as well. The Summer Games would have been something new and fun, but participating in gymnastics throughout the year is the true reward, she said.

“The important part was that Maddie had a nice, really good season. Both Maddie and her brother, we’ve been participating in Special Olympics for the last four years now. And the Summer Games is kind of just icing, it’s not really the aim of it. Actually doing the gymnastics itself, week to week through the year is what’s really the reward I think,” Miller said.