Athletes of all ages and abilities in a wide range of sports will be headed for central Iowa later today for the start of the 39th annual Summer Iowa Games.
Spokesman Cory Kennedy says the events will assemble competitors from all corners of the state.
“We’ll roughly have upwards of 2,000 athletes coming to town this weekend for our first weekend of the Iowa Games,” Kennedy says. “We have basketball, bowling, figure skating, martial arts, soccer and swimming all in the Ames area, and we also have water skiing up near Waterloo.”
Kennedy calls the event an “Olympic-style festival” that brings together athletes from across the state and beyond in a welcoming, competitive environment.
“Next weekend is our main weekend with nearly 30 sports taking place in Ames,” Kennedy says. “Our athlete tailgate and opening ceremony will be happening at the Reiman Plaza on the south side of Jack Trice Stadium on Friday, July 18th from 4:30 to 7 PM.”
Many of the events are free for spectators, though he says a few do charge a modest fee, and volunteers are always needed to help out. The event also brings a big financial boost to central Iowa.
“Over the years, the average is a seven to eight-million dollar impact on the Ames community,” Kennedy says, “whether it’s restaurants and hotels and gas stations, things like that, of people coming in from all around the state.”
The Games will conclude on Sunday, July 20th.
