Virtual Summer Games to Connect Athletes During Difficult Time: Special Olympics’ DeJesus LIVE
Friday, May 22, 2020
Special Olympics Rhode Island CEO Dennis DeJesus joined GoLocal LIVE to talk about how the signature Summer Games will be held virtually due to the coronavirus crisis — and why the athletes and the organization need people’s support more than ever.
“Summer Games for our athletes is our Super Bowl. Make no mistake about it, they start talking about it as early as January and for the next six months talk about it almost every single day,” said DeJesus. “The opportunity to go to URI, the opportunity to stay in the dormitories, athletic competition, camaraderie — it’s a great, great weekend.”
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLAST“So when it was canceled this year we had to come up with something different,” said DeJesus. “I challenged my staff to do something where we get our athletes off the couch. There is so much confusion and isolation out there among our athletes as a result of this pandemic.”
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“So we’re doing as much as we can to connect with our athletes. Then Saturday night — the famous dance — I mean our athletes love the dance, the highlight at URI is the Saturday dance — so we’re doing to do some virtual music, bringing music into the homes of all our athletes.
We’re going through some difficult times financially — we certainly need people’s generosity to keep this organization going.
The Summer Games are an “extraordinary event and it cannot be lost in the Rhode Island pandemic,” said DeJesus.
See more details about the Virtual Games being held May 29 and 30 HERE.
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