N ews line New York State Special Olympics Coming to Ithaca

By Matt Dougherty

For the second year in a row the New York State Special Olympics are making their way to Ithaca under the banner of the State Summer Games. This year marks year two in a three year partnership with the games that will see the Special Olympics return to Ithaca again in 2024.

The New York State Special Olympics have provided athletes with special needs with opportunities to compete in the sports they love most since its inception in 1968. Over the years, the games have served more than 51,000 athletes and grew to become the largest program of its kind in the country.

The event will be kicked off on June 8 with the Ithaca Night of Champions at the large pavilion in Stewart Park from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. where guests can enjoy an interactive Unified Bocce exhibition, raffles and entertainment.

The games will take place from June 9-10 at Ithaca College and Ithaca High School, where hundreds of athletes from across the Empire State will arrive to compete for the gold in eight sporting events.

The competitions include athletics (track & field), basketball, bowling, gymnastics, powerlifting, swimming, tennis, and volleyball. Ithaca College will host basketball, swimming, gymnastics, powerlifting and tennis while track and field events will be held at Ithaca High School. Competition for bowling will take place at Midway Lanes in Vestal, NY.

The Vice President of External Relations for Special Olympics New York, Casey Vattimo, has said that the Special Olympics represent a life-changing event for participating athletes. “These are folks who’ve otherwise never had an opportunity to play a sport; to put on that uniform, they may have never had that opportunity,” Vattimo said.

The 2023 State Summer Games are the largest statewide competition of the year for athletes with special needs, and the team behind the games have been working tirelessly to ensure that there are enough volunteers for the games to run smoothly.

T ake N ote X SewGreen For Sale

The SewGreen store is for sale. There are a few different ways this could go: a turn-key purchase for the whole enchilada; consolidation with a like-minded business; a purchase of contents alone; a return to not-for-profit status. If you would like to see it continue its mission of reuse, sewing education, jobs for teens, or whatever fresh path and ideas you bring to it, please contact Wendy Skinner ithacasews@gmail.com 607319-4106.

X Phone Bank to Save Ithaca Car-Share

While NYS bill A.5718/S.5959 is making its way through the senate, it's stalled in the assembly. If this bill doesn't pass, Ithaca Carshare will be forced to close due to lack of auto insurance options. We need this bill to pass in order for us to stay open.

The phone relay is to call Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie (518-455-3791), who is holding up the bill. We're urging him to put bill A.5718 to the floor for a vote.

According to Vattimo, “This is what (the athletes) are looking forward to...we just have to make sure the community is ready for them.” Last year’s games held at Ithaca College were made possible with help from roughly 800 volunteers. With the addition of Ithaca High School as a venue for this year’s games, more students have been encouraged to sign on to volunteer.

Volunteers are needed for set up, competition, Opening and Closing Ceremonies, breakdown, and venue support. If you or someone you know is interested in volunteering, you can email volunteers@ nyso.org for additional registration information.

VOL. XLIII / NO. 41 / June 7, 2023

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X Press Bay Pride Parade & Vendor Fair

Downtown Ithaca’s Pride Celebration kicks off in Press Bay starting Friday June 9 with a Pride Parade. On Saturday, Press Bay Alley hosts a vendor fair, while Press Bay Court will have performances, story hour, music, free rainbow crafts at SewGreen, and more. Don’t miss special treats from our companion stores, including The Gallery’s incredible donuts, beautiful baked goods from Rashida Sawyer Bakery, and smoothies from Empire Raw.

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The Ithaca Times is published weekly Wednesday mornings. Offices are located at 109 N. Cayuga Street, Ithaca, NY 14850 607-277-7000, FAX 607277-1012, MAILING ADDRESS is PO Box 27, Ithaca, NY 14851. The Ithaca Times was preceded by the Ithaca New Times (1972–1978) and The Good Times Gazette (1973–1978), combined in 1978. FoundEr good t MES gazEttE: toM newton