2006 Special Olympics USA National Games Eunice Kennedy Shriver, Founder and Honorary Chairperson of Special Olympics, participates in a medal ceremony 4 July at the 2006 Special Olympics USA National Games. Visit the 2006 Special Olympics USA National Games Web site for updated competition results and photo galleries. The 2006 Special Olympics USA National Games were held in Ames, Iowa USA on 2-7 July. Reports from the Games Closing Ceremonies bring Memorable Week to an End: article includes a link to the speech by Suzanne Thompson, mother of Special Olympics Illinois athlete Caitlin Cox, delivered as the representative to speak on behalf of families [25 July] Bank of America donating US$500,000 to support Team USA and Jo Dee Messina announcing 2007 World Games Team USA Coaches [12 July] Take a Look at this Brief Glimpse of the 13 Sports Contested at the 2006 USA National Games [12 July] Global Messengers participate in Research Project — as Researchers [6 July] US National Family Forum held 5 July [24 July] National Youth Forum Inspires All to Get It Going [3 July] Young Athletes™ Program Demonstrated 3 July [article and photos posted 17 July] National Youth Summit Off to a Great Start [2 July]      •  Articles written by the Youth Summit reporters added 11 July!     •  Audio files of interviews added 20 July! Special Olympics Kicks Off Inaugural USA National Games with Spectacular Opening Ceremonies [2 July] Special Olympics Conducts Research Symposium [1 July] U.S. Senate Holds Field Hearing on the Status and Well-being of People with Intellectual Disabilities [1 July] Special Olympics athlete Rolla Lucas of Davenport, Iowa lights the cauldron on 2 July at the Opening Ceremonies of the Special Olympics USA National Games as law enforcement officers and participants in the Special Olympicis Law Enforcement Torch Run Final Leg look on and "Oprah's Pop Star Challenge" winner LaShell Griffin performs. An estimated 13,500 people watched the ceremonies, said organizers. [Photo by David Peterson/Des Moines Register, used with permission, all rights reserved, © 2006 The Des Moines Register] More than 3,000 athletes from all 50 U.S. states met for six days of competition in 13 different sports: Aquatics (Swimming), Athletics (Track & Field), Basketball, Bocce, Bowling, Golf, Gymnastics, Motor Activities Training Program (MATP), Powerlifting, Soccer, Softball, Tennis, and Volleyball. These first-ever Special Olympics USA National Games boasted a wide range of activities to engage athletes and spectators alike — click here to learn more about the special events planned in addition to the sports competitions. Opening Ceremonies took place 2 July 2006 in the 15,000 seat Hilton Coliseum, featuring star-studded entertainment and the Parade of Athletes.The Special Olympics "Flame of Hope" arrived at the Opening Ceremonies courtesy of the "Guardians of the Flame" — the Law Enforcement Torch Run Final Leg team. The Final Leg team is comprised of 109 members, including law enforcement runners, Special Olympic athletes and Support Team members. Prior to Opening Ceremonies, the Final Leg team conducted ceremonies in over 86 towns and communities in Illinois and Iowa along the Final Leg route.      < More on the Law Enforcement Torch Run Final Leg and its participants. > Major sponsors and area businesses are hosting "Festival Village," where Games attendees can gather information and participate in a variety of activities. Educational seminars were offered to athletes and their families, as well as additional programming aimed to increase public knowledge and understanding. The National Youth Summit brought together youth with and without intellectual disabilities together for an inspiring and educational discussion, while a National Research Symposium on 1 July attracted experts from throughout the country to review key findings related to the field of intellectual disabilities, with the keynote address, "Ready Providers and Healthy People —  Mandate & Opportunity," delivered by the Surgeon General of the United States, Admiral Richard H. Carmona, M.D., M.P.H., F.A.C.S.      < More on the National Research Symposium. > In addition, a Senate Appropriations Committee field hearing, led by Senator Tom Harkin, was held to discuss the health status and related needs of people with intellectual disabilities and policy and other opportunities.       < More on the Field Hearing, which is open to the public. > Medical screenings for the athletes competing at the Games will be held in the following Healthy Athletes disciplines — Fit Feet, FUNfitness, Health Promotion, Healthy Hearing, Opening Eyes® and Special Smiles®. From left, Douglass Hodges, Joshua Schubert and Emily Matlack pose for a photo amid preparations for the upcoming 2006 Special Olympics USA National Games, where they will all serve different roles in support of Special Olympics. Click here to read about their notable accomplishments. For more information, visit the 2006 Special Olympics USA National Games Web site.    • Download a Special Olympics USA National Games fact sheet (Adobe PDF file, 103K) "The 2006 Special Olympics USA National Games will serve to focus America's attention on intellectual disabilities," said Elaine Heiber, chairperson of the Games Organizing Committee. "Our goal has been to not only create an incredible experience for athletes, coaches, volunteers, and family members, but to create an atmosphere that fosters discussion and direction. We want to improve the lives of those with intellectual disabilities, and this event will be a catalyst for a great deal of good." Organizers of the 2006 Special Olympics USA National Games recruited more than 8,000 volunteers from across the country to support the event, while more than 2,000 coaches and official delegates will also be on hand to assist athletes in a variety of capacities. The 8,000 volunteers supporting the event will be a crucial component to its success. Volunteers include a number of national celebrities, including actor Tom Arnold who serveed as the National Games Volunteer Ambassador as well as the emcee of Opening Ceremonies on 2 July. Other celebrities participating and supporting the 2006 Special Olympics USA National Games include Kurt Warner, NFL quarterback; Brandon Routh, the star of Superman Returns; country music singer, Jo Dee Messina; and Irish tenor, Ronan Tynan. The Games and competition were based around Iowa State University, Ames and the Central Iowa area. Ames was selected as the host site for The 2006 Special Olympics U.S. National Games from many potential host cities for a variety of reasons, including the strong support of the state, Special Olympics Iowa's Program and a large volunteer base. A major selling point was the athletic resources available on the Iowa State University campus, where competitions will be held. Participants    • More than 3,000 athletes from all 50 states    • 2,000 coaches and official delegates    • 12,000 family members and friends of athletes    • 8,000 volunteers Ames, Iowa is also a central location in the United States, making it easy for athletes from all corners of the country to reach. Many athletes will visit Iowa thanks to the generous support of Cessna and the corporations and individual Citation owners and operators who donate their Citation business jets, pilots, and fuel to transport athletes to the Games. The 2006 Citation Special Olympics Airlift will include 400 Citations that will transport more than 2,500 Special Olympics athletes and coaches across the nation to the National Games. (Visit the Cessna Web site to learn more about the Airlift.) Ames Games on TV!      Iowa Public Television will be creating a one-hour documentary on the 2006 USA National Games, which will be made available to all PBS affiliates through — click here to learn more about this documentary and how you can ask your state Public Television Station to pick up the show. With increased athlete participation, Special Olympics has an interest in creating more opportunities for competition, and a U.S. National Games was a natural next step in creating yet another occasion for Special Olympics athletes to celebrate their achievements. The size and the scope of this event makes it a wonderful opportunity to achieve the goal of Special Olympics — the empowerment of those with intellectual disabilities. This event will also provide a forum through which society at large can learn to accept and better understand people with intellectual disabilities. Honorary Chairs of the 2006 Special Olympics USA National Games are: Eunice Kennedy Shriver, founder of Special Olympics; The Honorable Thomas Vilsack; Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA); Senator Charles Grassley (R-IA); The Honorable Tom Latham; Tom Arnold, actor and comedian; Zach Johnson, PGA golfer; Jo Dee Messina, country music star; Vitor Meila, IndyCar racing star; Preki, Kansas City Wizards soccer star; and Cael Sanderson, Gold Medalist, Freestyle Wrestling, ATHENS 2004 Olympic Games and four-time NCAA Champion.