By Pat Powers (Radio Iowa)

A few thousand athletes with intellectual disabilities from all across the state will gather in Ames this week for the Special Olympics Iowa Summer Games, according to games spokeswoman Megan Filipi.

“It’s our largest competition of the whole year,” Filipi says. “We have competitions year round, but our Summer Games is our biggest one. It’s Thursday, Friday, Saturday, May 21st through the 23rd, at Iowa State.”

The three-day event will gather a sizeable group on the ISU campus.

“We have about 2,500 athletes and unified partners that compete,” she says, “and then another 2,000 volunteers, and 1,500 or so spectators and coaches and chaperones.”

Filipi says the athletes will be taking part in a range of different sports over the three days.

“We have tennis, bocce, cycling, track and field, developmental events,” she says, “and then most of the competitions run from about 9 to 3 on Thursday and Friday, and then about 9 to 1 p.m. on Saturday morning.”

The opening ceremonies on Thursday night will include a parade of athletes, awards and recognition, and a torch will be used for the lighting of the cauldron.

Find more information at www.soiowa.org.