After months of practice, 17 St. Louis Center residents headed off to Mt. Pleasant for the Special Olympics Michigan Summer Games on May 30th.

Each year, the 3-day event is held at Central Michigan University. Athletes from all across the state gather to compete and celebrate their teamwork, dedication to their sports, and catch up with old friends.

This year was extra special, as Special Olympics Michigan celebrated 50 years of in-person Summer Games at CMU. 6 SLC residents played on a Unified Volleyball team, which joins people with and without intellectual disabilities together on the same team. 11 SLC residents participated in Singles Bocce Ball and Doubles Bocce Ball events.

Accompanying the athletes on their trip were Haylie Moran, Carlie Hartwick, former SLC Program Director Rick Visel, and Carlie’s husband Noah who played on the Unified Volleyball team. Megan Ivey, Fr. Satheesh, and Fr. Dave all made surprise appearances on Friday afternoon to cheer on the athletes. They also participated in some of the festivities.

The group participated in the Opening Ceremonies Thursday evening. On Friday, they had sports competitions, free health screenings, a carnival, and a dance. More sports competitions on Saturday rounded out the event. In total, our athletes brought home 25 medals, 4 ribbons, and enough fun memories to last until next year’s Summer Games. Don’t forget to congratulate them on their success!