Just over three months away from welcoming hundreds of athletes from across the province to participate in the 2025 Special Olympics Alberta Summer Games, organizers are putting the finishing touches on what they hope will be a successful weekend in July.
Games Manager Lisa Kerkhof says the city has recently hosted some major sporting events, including the 2024 Alberta Winter Games. However, as the summer games mark a return of an Special Olympics Alberta event to Grande Prairie for the first time since 2015, there is an added layer of excitement.
“I can’t wait for the athletes to come into Grande Prairie, for the community to welcome everyone into the city and then to see some great competition and sportsmanship in the event itself,” Kerkhof says.
“These athletes are just incredible humans; seeing them interact with each other and encourage each other is not something we see day to day anymore, so it’s a humbling experience to witness the sportsmanship.”
With 10 sports spread across nine locations, Kerkhof says the need for volunteers will be great, but she remains confident in getting enough interest to fill nearly 450 four-hour volunteer shifts.
“We are officially launching our registration online in a couple of weeks, we will need help at a few different sporting events, and things like food service,” she says.
“Hopefully people will take on more than one shift and we will need around 250-300 volunteers throughout the weekend.”
For those looking to take in the fun and excitement of the games themselves, Kerkhof says the only thing they have to worry about is kicking back and taking in all the excitement.
“They can expect a fun, engaging atmosphere when you’re watching the sports,” she says.
“All of the events, including the opening ceremonies are free of charge, so we encourage the community to come out and support our local athletes. We have 60 athletes and coaches locally participating, and we would love to see you out on-site.”
The 2025 Special Olympics Alberta Summer Games run from July 11th to 13th, 2025. You can find more information, including venues, sports and how to volunteer at the Special Olympics Alberta Summer Games website.
