On January 7-9, Perfect North Slopes played host to the 37th edition of Special Olympics Indiana’s 2018 Winter Games. It was the eighth time Perfect North Slopes has hosted the games; prior years were held at Paoli Peaks in Paoli, Indiana.
The event kicked off on Sunday afternoon at Higher Ground Conference and Retreat Center (West Harrison) with the start of Winter Fest, an event featuring demonstrations, activities and games, followed by the Opening Ceremonies on Sunday evening. The next two days featured preliminaries on Monday and final competitions on Tuesday morning.
A total of 254 athletes, Unified Partners and coaches participated in the games, including 92 from Ripley, Ohio and Dearborn Counties – which was the largest delegation at the Games.
Special Olympics Indiana – Ripley Ohio Dearborn Counties played host to the Opening Ceremonies, with a dance immediately following. Athletes were paraded in by county prior to the start of the ceremonies with each county being escorted by two members of the Lions Clubs of Indiana. Chelsie, from B-105 was the emcee of the ceremonies. During the ceremonies, Charlie Wilson sung the National Anthem as the Knights of Columbus presented the flag. The Lions Clubs of Indiana were recognized as the Games presenting sponsor. Four members of South Dearborn High School’s showchoir and student of Linda Rechtin’s School of Voice performed – Ryann Britton, Jake Polak, Sean Britton, and Charlie Wilson. The Games were declared open by Chelsie as Kenny McAllister, of the Dearborn County Sheriff’s Department, lit the Flame of Hope. Balloons and confetti fell from the ceiling as the crowd cheered.
On Monday evening the delegation hosted a movie in the Life Center at Higher Grounds for the athletes while their coaches attended a meeting.
A list of results can be seen below.
