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For Immediate Release
July 6 , 2007
wesleyan selected as a site for 2010 special olympics national games
LINCOLN, Neb. —In July 2010, Nebraska Wesleyan University will be busting at the seams with activity when a special event — only the second of its kind — puts the campus and the state of Nebraska in the national spotlight.
Nebraska Wesleyan University has been selected as a site for the 2010 Special Olympics National Games. Both Lincoln and Omaha have been selected to host the games, which will bring approximately 4,000 athletes and coaches and nearly 15,000 family members, sponsors, and officials to the area for seven days of competition in 14 sports. On July 6, officials with the Special Olympics National Games joined Lincoln dignitaries and administrators from Nebraska Wesleyan and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln for the special announcement.
“Without Nebraska Wesleyan’s early and generous commitment to these games, they would not have been able to come to Nebraska,” said Chuck Cooper, president and CEO of Special Olympics Nebraska. “The grace with which Nebraska Wesleyan came to this project is a very high bar for all of Lincoln to strive to reach.”
Nebraska put in its bid for the games several months ago, competing with cities such as Rochester, New York, said Patty Karthauser, Vice President for Enrollment and Marketing. The selection committee visited the campuses of Nebraska Wesleyan and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln along with other Lincoln and Omaha facilities.
Wesleyan will provide housing for athletes and use of its athletic facilities. The majority of competitions will be held at UNL and Wesleyan with some sports, such as golf and bowling, to be played in Omaha or nearby communities.
“Nebraska Wesleyan University is honored to be a part of the 2010 National Special Olympics USA Games,” said President Fred Ohles. “This is a wonderful partnership for us, since Special Olympics and Nebraska Wesleyan are both in the business of helping individuals to discover and to achieve their full potential. We feel privileged to be part of this larger Nebraska effort to bring these special athletes to our state and to watch them compete at the national level.”
Cooper said the 2010 games will require nearly 8,000 volunteers and will cost nearly $6 million to operate. The responsibility to raise funds and recruit volunteers now rests with the new 2010 National Games Organizing Committee.
“We look forward to the challenge and welcome the 2010 National Games to Nebraska,” said Cooper. |
