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Boise to Host 2009 Special Olympic Winter World Games

By jennifer gelband, 5-17-06

Kiss your neighborhood potholes goodbye because Boise was named host to the 2009 Special Olympics World Winter Games.

And two-and-a-half years should give city officials plenty of time to clean up the roadblocks and insist on completing all those skyscraping downtown condos.

The Special Olympics committee announced Tuesday that Idaho won out over Reno and cities in Germany, Poland and Austria to host the Games because, according to the organization’s press release, “Idaho provides excellent sports venues, incredible community support and unprecedented passion for the athletes of our movement.” True.

More than 2,000 athletes from nearly 100 nations will compete, and they will, of course, bring coaches, volunteers by the thousands, television crews, and Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, who is on the board of directors. The committee expects more than 10,000 guests and spectators to attend the event in January and February of 2009. And that, in turn, will be a landslide for Boise tourism and commerce.

And many local venues where the games will be played will benefit, too, such as Boise State University, Tamarack Resort, Qwest Arena, Bogus Basin ski resort, and Idaho Ice World skating rink. In the winter games, Special Olympics athletes compete in seven sports: alpine skiing; cross country skiing; snowboarding; snowshoeing; speed skating; figure skating; and floor hockey.

This is not just a gain for Boise; it is a gain for the United States. Every two years, the Special Olympians convene from around the globe to compete, exhibit their skills and celebrate the spirit of the games. If you’ve never seen the World Games, this is great human athleticism that draws attention to building understanding and acceptance for athletes with disabilities.

So expect star-studded opening and closing ceremonies. Yes, Boise will no doubt be saddled with a celebrity invasion. New Haven, CT, for example, hosted in 1994 with hotshots Tony Danza, 90210’s Andrea Zuckerman and Hootie and the Blowfish commencing the games. The Pointer Sisters closed the show the following week.

Jim and Pirie Grossman of Destiny Productions and a team of community members led the bid to select Boise. When selecting the site, the committee takes into consideration “the positive impact the World Games has on host cities and surrounding communities, and the lasting social legacy that can be left as a result of the Games.”

That’s great, as long as Hootie and his Blowfish leave when the games are over.

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