Special Olympics PA Indoor Winter Games Returns to York County
Special Olympics Pennsylvania (SOPA) is celebrating their 5th year of annual Indoor Winter Games in York County March 1-2, 2025.
More than 500 athletes will compete in this year’s event. The competition kicks off on Saturday, March 1, with delegates arriving from Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, North Carolina, and Virginia.
Presented by Explore York, the SOPA winter games feature four events: bowling, floor ball, figure skating, and speed skating which will be held at various venues, including the York Expo Center, York Ice Arena, Colony Park Lanes, Laser Alley Bowling Centers, and Suburban Bowlerama.
"We’re honored to sponsor and support this amazing event in York County," said Laura Wagner, President of Explore York. "The Special Olympics Winter Games are a powerful showcase of the athletes' dedication and determination. These incredible individuals train for months, pushing themselves through tough challenges. With the support of coaches, loved ones, and our community, the games celebrate their strength, perseverance, and unwavering spirit.” Wagner continued, "The influx of visitors not only supports the event but also provides an economic boost that can be reinvested into future events, further enriching our community."
"We cannot believe we’re already in our fifth year hosting the Indoor Winter Games. It’s been such an honor to partner with Explore York and York County and receive support from such a wonderful community,” said Erika Christiansen, Central Competition Director for Special Olympics Pennsylvania. “This event showcases months of hard work and training athletes have put into their respective sport. We want to use these two days to highlight the incredible coaches, volunteers, and athletes that make up Special Olympics Pennsylvania.”
In addition to the presenting sponsor, Explore York, Indoor Winter Games major event sponsors include: Karns, WellSpan Health, York Ice Arena, York County, York Expo Center, York Jewish Community Center, Penn State York, York College of Pennsylvania, Inch & Co., Knights of Columbus, Aramark, Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics Pennsylvania, Sheetz, Wawa, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Toyota, Philadelphia Insurance Companies, and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
About Special Olympics Pennsylvania
Special Olympics Pennsylvania (SOPA) provides year-round training and competition in 21 Olympic-type sports to more than 20,000 children and adults with intellectual disabilities or closely related developmental disabilities. For 50 years, SOPA and its 54 local programs have used the power of sports to transform the lives of people with intellectual disabilities and unite everyone by fostering community and building a more acceptable and civil society. SOPA is much more than a sports organization. Through its Athlete Leadership Programs, athletes assume meaningful leadership roles, influence change within the Special Olympics movement, and take on roles as Global Messengers (trained as public speakers for Special Olympics), athlete representatives, coaches, board members, and more. SOPA also addresses major challenges facing its athletes including healthcare. Its Healthy Athletes program offers athletes free health screenings in the form of eye, ear, dental and podiatry assessments. Athletes are also taught how to live active lifestyles, eat healthy, and more. Additionally, SOPA strives to create a unified world by promoting inclusion, uniting communities, and changing attitude. Through Unified Sports, SOPA brings together individuals with and without intellectual disabilities as equal teammates in training and competition, which promotes respect and acceptance, and facilitates meaningful relationships between people of all abilities. For more information about how you can join "The Inclusion Revolution," visit specialolympicspa.org
About Sport York
Explore York's Sport York program is designed to recruit events and generate additional economic impact in York County. Sport York positions York County as Pennsylvania's Premier Sports Destination, highlighting the area's dynamic facilities and central location on the East Coast. For further information about Sport York, visit www.YorkPA.org/sports.
About Explore York
Explore York’s mission is to maximize tourism expenditures and their economic impact in York County, PA, through comprehensive tourism sales and marketing programs. Explore York’s vision is for a York County where tourism is recognized for the value of its economic impact and its role in raising the profile of York County as a sought-after destination. For more information on Explore York, visit YorkPA.org.
