Special Olympics of Pennsylvania cancels Summer Games due to air quality concerns
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — Fallout from the wildfires continues to impact families across Pennsylvania.
On Thursday, the Special Olympics of Pennsylvania canceled its biggest sporting event of the year because of the poor air quality. Organizers of the 2023 Summer Games said over the years they have dealt with severe weather and a pandemic but nothing like the current air quality conditions.
The games were set to bring more than 1,600 athletes and their families, more than 600 coaches and over 1,000 volunteers to Penn State University this weekend.
But on Thursday morning, busloads of people had to turn around after learning the games were canceled.
"We worked really hard to consult with the EPA, local meteorologists, to better understand the weather and medical experts to come up with what was one of the hardest decisions we've ever had to make," said Nate Garland, chief mission officer of Special Olympics Of Pennsylvania.
Garland said many of the athletes have disabilities that make them highly vulnerable to the poor air quality caused by the wildfires in Canada. In Central Pennsylvania where the games were set to take place, the National Weather Service called a Code Red Air Quality Alert on Thursday.
"About 70 percent of our athletes, their venues were outdoors," Garland said.
Garland said officials are turning the page and will begin their plan for fall sports and the 2024 Summer Games.
Whether the athletes who qualified in this year's games will qualify for next year's games is to be determined.