By paNOW Staff

PA showcases Special Olympics

Feb 12, 2011 | 6:49 AM

Special Olympics are underway in Prince Albert.

Until Sunday, 135 kids from across Saskatchewan will compete in curling, floor hockey and snowshoeing.

The games bring excitement to the community, said Al Dyer, local chairman for the event.

“I think it’s always good to have some of these larger events coming to Prince Albert. There is economic spin off and just the excitement of having large scale competitions,” he said.

Considering the decision to bring the games to the city was last minute, Dyer said he is pleased with how everything came together.

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“We’re actually pretty pleased, it’s actually come together in a very short period of time. We’ve got great volunteers, we’ve got fantastic volunteers here in Prince Albert … we seem to be able to attract a very high quality with Special Olympics as well, so we’re very pleased with how things are going.”

There were a couple of matches on Friday afternoon, but things really got going with the opening ceremonies Friday night.

It was a low key event though, with a parade and torch, said Dyer because athletes were up and competing early this morning.

The games are open to the public and free to watch.

Dryer said he hopes people will come out, say hello and watch the sports.

“The finals happen on Sunday morning and that’s usually when people rise to their best,” he said.

The floor hockey final will be held at 8 a.m. Sunday at SIAST.

For more information on Special Olympics, click here.

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