Fifty Years, Thousands of Champions, One Extraordinary Weekend
Kicking Off the 2026 State Summer Games Presented by AG
June 10, 2026
As the first teams arrive onto the University of New Hampshire campus and athletes begin unpacking uniforms, reconnecting with friends, and preparing for competition, something special is happening in Durham.
This year marks the 50th anniversary of the partnership between Special Olympics New Hampshire and the University of New Hampshire, a relationship that has helped create generations of memories, friendships, and opportunities for athletes with intellectual disabilities across the Granite State.
For five decades, UNH has opened its campus to athletes, coaches, volunteers, families, and supporters for what has become the largest annual Special Olympics New Hampshire competition: the State Summer Games.
Between Friday and Saturday of this week, hundreds of athletes will compete in athletics, bocce, powerlifting, and swimming. For some, it will be their first time stepping onto a competition field. For others, it will be another chapter in a lifelong Special Olympics journey. And for the athletes who are part of Team New Hampshire, it will be their final opportunity to compete at home before representing our state at the 2026 Special Olympics USA Games next week in Minnesota.
But Summer Games has always been about more than competition.
It’s about community.
It’s about the thousands of people who come together behind the scenes to create an experience where every athlete feels seen, celebrated, and supported.
That community starts with our partners at UNH. For months leading up to the Games, people across campus work behind the scenes to transform the university into a home away from home for athletes from every corner of New Hampshire.
Kim Rideout, Meeting Planner with UNH Conferences & Catering, helps coordinate housing for teams arriving from across the state. Mark Geuther, Director of Facilities Project Management, helps navigate the countless logistics involved in hosting an event of this size while also overseeing the golf cart transportation system that keeps athletes and volunteers moving throughout the weekend.
Their work is largely invisible to those attending the Games, but it is essential to making the entire experience possible.
The same can be said for the hundreds of volunteers who dedicate their time each year.
People like Stan Boduch.
Decades ago, Stan signed up for a single volunteer shift. One day turned into many years. Today, he serves as the starter for athletics competition, helping launch countless races and witnessing thousands of athletes cross finish lines over the years.
His story is one of many that demonstrate the power of volunteering. What begins as a few hours of service often becomes a lifelong connection.
Throughout the weekend, volunteers will be running competitions, presenting awards, supporting athletes, helping with logistics, and creating the welcoming atmosphere that makes Summer Games so memorable.
Many of those volunteers come through longstanding partnerships.
Our friends at Coca-Cola not only help keep athletes, coaches, and volunteers hydrated throughout the weekend, they also bring employee volunteers who run the tennis ball throw and softball throw competitions on Saturday
Associated Grocers of New England provides the food that fuels the Games and, this year, is taking on leadership of the swimming competition happening over at Phillips Exeter Academy, bringing a dedicated volunteer team to support athletes in and around the pool.
Members of First Congregational Church return year after year to run the mini javelin competition, becoming familiar faces to athletes who look forward to seeing them each summer.
Meanwhile, healthcare professionals from across New Hampshire will volunteer their expertise through Healthy Athletes screenings in dental health, hearing, and physical therapy. Their work is part of something much larger. Through programs like Healthy Athletes, Special Olympics has become the largest provider of health services for people with intellectual disabilities in the world, helping address healthcare disparities that too often impact this population.
Together, these volunteers and partners help create an experience that athletes remember long after medals are awarded.
As local programs continue arriving on campus and competition begins, we invite you to experience Summer Games for yourself.
There are still volunteer opportunities available throughout the weekend, and whether you can give a few hours or become part of the event year after year, there’s a place for you here.
And if you’ve never attended before, join us Friday evening at Wildcat Stadium.
The Parade of Athletes begins at 7:00 p.m., followed by Opening Ceremonies at 7:30 p.m. Afterward, athletes will take to the track under the stadium lights, creating one of the most memorable moments of the entire weekend.
Fifty years after the first Summer Games at UNH, the tradition continues because of athletes who dream big, volunteers who show up, partners who believe in inclusion, and a community that understands everyone deserves the chance to compete, belong, and be celebrated.
Come be part of it.
