PLEASANT HILL, Calif. – More than 700 Special Olympics athletes and 200 volunteer coaches along with numerous fans will arrive at UC Davis for the annual Special Olympics Summer Games from June 28-30. Things get underway Friday, June 28 with Opening Ceremonies, which features a Law Enforcement Torch Relay before the lighting of the cauldron. The athletes compete June 29-30 in aquatics, bocce, tennis or track and field competitions. All of the events are open to the public with no charge for admission.

“Our athletes look forward to Summer Games all year,” Special Olympics Northern California President & CEO Rick Collett said. “It’s like the Olympics for the athletes and their coaches. It’s fantastic that the Davis community supports this event, and we invite everyone out to see the impact Special Olympics makes in the lives of these athletes.”

Athletes from the following counties and regional areas will be competing – Alameda, Butte, Contra Costa, El Dorado, Fresno, Humboldt, Lake, Marin, Mendocino Coast, Monterey, Napa, Placer/Nevada, Sacramento/Yolo, San Francisco, San Joaquin, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Shasta, Solano, Stanislaus, Tulare, Tuolumne and Yuba/Sutter/Colusa.

The two-week series of runs across Northern California known as the Law Enforcement Torch Run begins June 15 and will make its way to Davis for Summer Games. The Torch – known as the Flame of Hope – will be run into Aggie Stadium for one final relay around the track and then the cauldron lighting.

Special Olympics Northern California Summer Games are made possible in part by the generosity of Chevron, Kaiser Permanente, Adobe, Coca-Cola, Durham School Services, Enterprise Rent-a-Car and Flyers Energy.

Special Olympics Northern California Summer Games Schedule
Friday, June 28
7:30 p.m. – Opening Ceremonies at Aggie Stadium
Saturday, June 29
7:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. – Track & Field at Toomey Field

8:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. – Bocce at Howard Field
8:30 a.m.-1 p.m. – Tennis at Welch Tennis Center
9 a.m.-3 p.m. – Aquatics at Schaal Aquatic Center
Sunday, June 30
7:30 a.m.-2 p.m. – Track & Field at Toomey Field
8:30 a.m.-1 p.m. – Bocce at Howard Field
8:30 a.m.-1 p.m. – Tennis at Welch Tennis Center
9 a.m.-2 p.m. – Aquatics at Schaal Aquatic Center

More Information: www.SummerGamesSO.com
Press Kit: http://sonc.org/about/press-information
Photos From 2012 Summer Games (Credit: klc fotos): www.Flickr.com/SONorCal

About Special Olympics Northern California
Special Olympics Northern California is a free year-round sports training and competition program for children and adults with intellectual disabilities. There are 16,000 athletes who compete in 152 competitions throughout the region in 11 sports. This requires the extraordinary support and time of 15,100 volunteers and volunteer coaches. Financial support comes almost exclusively from individuals, organizations, corporations, and foundations. For more information on Special Olympics Northern California, visit www.SONC.org or join us at Facebook.com/SONorCal and Twitter.com/SONorCal.

About Law Enforcement Torch Run Northern California
The Law Enforcement Torch Run (LETR) is the largest year-round fund-raising vehicle benefiting Special Olympics Northern California. The annual intrastate relay and its various fundraising projects, conducted by officers representing every branch of law enforcement, have a mission of partnering with our communities, to support Special Olympics Programs through raising funds and public awareness, while enhancing the quality of life of our athletes. LETR has raised more than $6 million dollars since its inception in 1998. Approximately 3,000 officers carry the Flame of Hope, running through hundreds of Northern California communities in June to its final destination – the Opening Ceremonies of the Special Olympics Summer Games in Davis, CA. For more information visit www.TorchRunCalifornia.com or www.SONC.org