More than 500 athletes and coaches from across New York will converge on central New York next month for the Special Olympics New York State Winter Games.
Athlete Kayla McKeon led fellow athletes in a special pledge as officials announced the games.
"Let me win, but if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt," McKeon said.
The games will be in the Syracuse area on February 23 and 24, at different venues for four different sports: Alpine Skiing, Figure Skating, Showshoeing, and for the first time, Floorball. Special Olympics President Stacey Hengsterman said Floorball replaces Floor Hockey.
“It was one of our most favorite sports,” Hengsterman said. “It was used like with a disc and but it was expensive first of all because there's boards and checking. Floorball is safer than Floor Hockey. It's more efficient. We can move it."
The one thing Hengsterman said she’d like to see in late February is something central New York has been short of lately. Snow.
“The lack of snow, I’m not going to lie, it's not our favorite,” she said. “Snowshoe, we can do snowshoe on the beach. We've done cross-country but we just couldn't, they can't practice.”
Hengsterman and other community supporters are asking for central New Yorkers to volunteer for everything from being timekeepers to helping distribute meals. And they also ask for spectators. Snowshoer Jordan Sellers from Madison County says hearing cheers helps him compete.
“It makes you want to do better when people are there to watch,” Sellers said.
Anyone interested in volunteering can sign up at the Special Olympics website.
