Dutchess County Welcomes the 2016 Winter Games!

Today we announced the Special Olympics New York 2016 Winter Games are coming to the Hudson Valley February 19-21, 2016. This will be the first time ever the Winter Games have been held in Dutchess County.

These Games give Dutchess County a chance to showcase the unique aspects that make us distinctly Dutchess. Just as importantly, they inspire us to THINK DIFFERENTLY about how we interact with people with special needs – not only during the Winter Games, but every day.

Dutchess County will be the central hub for the 2016 Winter Games, with the Mid-Hudson Civic Center hosting the Opening Ceremonies on Feb. 19, the Closing Ceremonies on Feb. 20, and the Olympic Village for the duration on the weekend.

Bowdoin Park, a Dutchess County park, will host cross-country skiing and snowshoeing, and McCann Ice Arena will host figure and speed skating. Other competitions will take place in Orange and Sullivan counties.

On a personal note, these Games are of particular interest to me and my family. Any of us who love someone with special needs know when one family member lives with special needs, we all do. 

The 2016 Winter Games will be a celebration of athletes overcoming challenges – not just in a sporting event for a weekend, but in their everyday lives – and I hope you’ll share my enthusiasm in hosting such a great event.

Join me in welcoming the Special Olympics to Dutchess County, and I invite you to THINK DIFFERENTLY. To find out how you can volunteer to help with the 2016 Winter Games, visit specialolympicsny.org or email volunteer@nysoorg.

Dutchess County is fully committed to making the 2016 Special Olympics New York Winter Games a success, with involvement from the county’s Department of Public Works, Department of Health, Department of Emergency Response, the Dutchess County Sheriff’s Office and Dutchess County Sheriff Adrian H. Anderson.