Big, bold and fun was the name of the game as more than 1,100 Special Olympics athletes returned to Eastern Kentucky University in Richmond for the 2006 Special Olympics Kentucky State Summer Games. And while this was the 12th year in a row for the Games to make their home at EKU, much was new as the Games kicked off.

The first big changes of the Games came at the Opening Ceremonies. First and foremost the location changed — and this year Mother Nature had nothing to do with it. For the first time in the Games' history the Opening Ceremonies were held at the ravine amphitheater in the middle of campus. The ravine provided a cozier venue than Roy Kidd stadium had, giving the Opening Ceremonies a packed house to play to. In addition this was the first time in three yeas that rain did not force the Opening inside.

Mitchell Walls (right) became the first SOKY athlete to emcee the Summer Games Opening Ceremonies.

For the second year in a row, one of the goals of the Opening Ceremonies was to involve as many athletes as possible in the ceremonies themselves. To that end a huge step was taken when National Games Team Kentucky bowler Mitchell Walls of Louisville became the first Kentucky athlete to co-emcee the Ceremonies, teaming with Special Olympics Kentucky President and CEO Dave Kerchner. By all reviews Mitchell did a fantastic job. Another tremendous performance was turned in during the Ceremonieswhen Lexington gymnast Tonya Cornett sang the national anthem and received a tremendous ovation.

The Opening Ceremonies also saw the unveiling of two new elements of the Special Olympics Kentucky experience. One was the program's first kid-friendly costumed mascot. SOKY (for Special Olympics KentuckY) the beagle made its debut about midway through the Ceremonies. The mascot was produced and donated by an anonymous Special Olympics volunteer and was an immediate hit. SOKY was mobbed by athletes looking for autographs in Olympic Town the next day. The second unveiling came as the Law Enforcement Torch Run members made their way around the ravine with the "Flame of Hope." As the Torch Run Final Leg neared its end onstage, the curtain was pulled on a beautiful new aluminum cauldron that replaced its nearly 20-year-old predecessor.

Jefferson County Sheriff's Deputy Brian Bray lit the brand new Special Olympics Kentucky cauldron.

Even with one of the most action-packed Opening Ceremonies in recent history, the night will be remembered by most who were there as the night the lights went out on the Summer Games. A transformer failure knocked out power to the entire campus. The Opening Ceremonies were able to be completed thanks to an emergency generator, but it was many more hours before the lights came back on. When they did, it was in no small part thanks to a Special Olympics volunteer who leapt into action to help out. Erv Vanover — a National Games Coach and one of the track venue directors for the Summer Games — happened to be the Kentucky Utilities manager responsible for repairs to the power station that serves Eastern Kentucky University, so he was able to both help crank the power back up and keep the program posted as to their progress.

The darkness and the excitement of Friday night gave way to a busy day of competition on Saturday. With more than 1,100 athletes on campus more than 2,000 sets of medals were awarded during the course of the day. Athletes competed throughout the day in powerlifting, soccer swimming and track and field on campus, while gymnasts once again traveled north to Lexington to compete at the No Limits Gymnastics facility.

During breaks in competition, the athletes and their families could tour Olympic Town, playing games or making crafts or taking in one of the many shows and exhibitions that take place during the day — the most popular of which by far has become the professional wrestling show. A huge hit in their Olympic Town debut in 2005, the wrestlers were back in 2006 to perform two shows so that more athletes would have the chance to catch the fun.

The most important part of Olympic Town, though, is the also popular Healthy Athletes wellness village. Once again the Healthy Athletes area provided Special Smiles (dental), Opening Eyes (vision), Fit Feet and Fun Fitness (physical therapy) screenings. In addition to providing the screenings, many dental procedures were performed on site and numerous pairs of eyeglasses were distributed to athletes who needed them, and as always all services and glasses were free of charge.

Once it came time for the Summer Games to close on Saturday night, the athletes were treated to the return of an always popular aspect of the Summer Games celebration. Following a short closing ceremonies and a two-hour victory dance, the Games officially came to an end with a rousing fireworks display — the first time fireworks had been a part of any Games ceremonies in several years.

We want to thank the many sponsors who help make the State Summer Games possible: Year-Round Partners Kroger, The Law Enforcement Torch Run and Texas Roadhouse; the Kentucky Department American Legion and American Legion Auxiliary; Eastern Kentucky University; No Limits Gymnastics; Trin-Soft; Commonwealth Community Bank; O’Charley’s; McDonald’s of Richmond, which provides lunches for all the volunteers at the Games; and first-year sponsor Community Alternatives of Kentucky, which sponsored the family hospitality center.

Everyone is welcome to join us at Eastern Kentucky University next year at the 2007 Special Olympics Kentucky State Summer Games, which are scheduled for June 1-3, 2007. For more information on how you can get involved with the Games as either a volunteer or a sponsor, contact the Special Olympics Kentucky office at 502-695-8222 or via
e-mail at soky@soky.org.