Safety First: Special Olympics Vermont 2020 Winter Games have been canceled

Below is a message from Special Olympics Vermont President and CEO, Missy Siner Shea. In an abundance of caution, Special Olympics Vermont is cancelling the 2020 Winter Games. We have also been instructed to cancel all practices through the end of March so, Alpine Skiing, Snowboarding, Cross Country Skiing and Snowshoeing practice are now cancelled. We will take stock of the situation as as the month progresses and make appropriate decisions about starting Summer Sports Basketball and Bocce practice.

I know this is very disappointing but we want to keep everyone safe and healthy. Missy's message follows. Thanks, Dave

Dear Special Olympics Vermont Program Leadership (Heads of Delegation, Coaches and Program Support),

Thanks to many of you who were able to join us on calls to discuss the safety of our athletes at our upcoming events. Your input and collaboration is greatly appreciated. 

We have been closely monitoring the COVID-19 situation, with guidance from Special Olympics International and Special Olympics North America, based on information from the Centers for Disease Control, as well as the Vermont Department of Health and various health professionals. The situation changes each day. 

Monday evening Special Olympics program leaders worldwide received a communication from Mary Davis, CEO, Special Olympics International, strongly advising all Special Olympics Programs to suspend all sport training and competition activities and other activation involving our athletes through March 31, 2020. 

The health and safety of our athletes, and of the entire Special Olympics Vermont community is paramount and cannot be compromised. It is very unfortunate that, in an abundance of caution, we must cancel the following upcoming SOVT events:

• Winter Games at Killington Pico Resort; Sunday, March 22 - Tuesday, March 24 
• Unified Champion Schools Snowshoe Tournament; Wednesday March 25

We ask for your consideration and understanding that: 

• Many of our athletes, as well as some coaches and volunteers, are a higher risk population 
• Given the close quarters of the interior spaces and lodging, it would be extremely difficult to maintain social distancing and best practices for personal hygiene as recommended by the CDC
• Participants are coming from around the state, including athletes from New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut and New Jersey - states which also have confirmed cases of COVID-19 

The Southern Vermont Penguin Plunge at Bromley Mountain is scheduled for Saturday, March 21. We are collaborating with our partners to explore alternative approaches, including the possibility of hosting a virtual event. 

We recognize that cancelling these important and fun events is truly disappointing for the athletes who have trained for months to prepare for these competitions. Coaches, volunteers, family, friends, and our SOVT staff and board will be sad to miss the chance to support and cheer for them. Still, our shared love of sport doesn’t compare to the importance of protecting the health and safety of the Special Olympics Vermont community. We also want you to know that Special Olympics Vermont will not pass on any costs we incur; we will not charge Games or any other fees to local programs. 

The recommendation from Special Olympics International, which we are following, calls for suspending all sports training and competition activities hosted by the Special Olympics state program office, through the end of March. We understand this could affect additional events, including training for Summer Games, which begins soon. With things changing daily, it is hard to determine the future impact. We will continue to monitor how this situation progresses, and provide periodic updates.

As this information is extremely important and time sensitive, we ask that you please pass this message along to athletes, program volunteers, families, caregivers, and all other affected parties. We are in the process of informing additional stakeholders and will be sending out a communication to the broader public on Wednesday, March 11th.

We thank you in advance for your understanding and continued support.

Missy Siner Shea
President & CEO