Opening Ceremonies For Special Olympics Winter Games
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The Special Olympics 2013 State Winter Games is now underway. The Opening Ceremonies were Friday night at the Riverside Convention Center.
More than 650 athletes and coaches from across the state will be participating in the games this weekend.
YNN's Seth Voorhees emceed the event, which featured the Parade of Athletes and the lighting of the Special Olympics Cauldron.
Students from Rochester area high schools and colleges also came to cheer them on.
"Any of us who were ever athletes knows that you run faster when crowds are cheering for you, you feel great when people want to watch you play. Our athletes are no different than that," said Shelly Mangle, Special Olympics New York.
"I can have fun with the guys and I can have fun with the coaches, I meet other athletes also," said Giuseppe Pellecchia, Special Olympics Athlete, Staten Island.
"They play really hard and they really put their heart into it and they come up here and see their friends from other games, it's like one big family," said Mario Papa, Special Olympics Coach, Staten Island.
The Winter Games are one of more than 3,500 competitive experiences held each year in New York State.