Upcoming Endeavor Games Is seeking volunteers

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Registration is open, and volunteers are needed for the 24th annual University of Central Oklahoma Endeavor Games, an opportunity for athletes with physical disabilities to participate in various sporting events on a competitive level, June 8-11. To register as a volunteer or athlete or for a complete schedule of events, visit www.endeavorgames.org/edmond. Pictured, a previous UCO Endeavor Games athlete.

Registration is open for the 24th annual University of Central Oklahoma Endeavor Games, an opportunity for athletes with physical disabilities to participate in various sporting events on a competitive level, June 8-11, on Central’s campus and throughout the Edmond, Oklahoma, community.

The UCO Endeavor Games is the nation’s largest multisport, multi-disability event. The 2023 games include 11 sports — air rifle, archery, cycling, powerlifting, sitting volleyball, swimming, track and field, table tennis, wheelchair basketball, wheelchair softball and wheelchair tennis.

Volunteers are needed for a variety of positions, including various sports clinics, packet pick up, goodie bag prepping, special events and more. Volunteers under the age of 14 need to have a parent or guardian volunteer with them. Volunteers are encouraged to register before Monday, May 15, to guarantee preferred T-shirt size.

“Volunteers play an integral role in the success of the UCO Endeavor Games each year,” said Leigha Pemberton, assistant director of partnerships and events at UCO.

“The time and effort they put in to help ensure our athletes and their families have an amazing weekend brings the community together.”

The games will open Thursday, June 8, with a day of sports clinics and camps for aspiring athletes. Competition kicks off Friday, June 9, with powerlifting and wheelchair basketball in the morning; air rifle shooting throughout the day; and, an evening of swimming at the Edmond Mitch Park YMCA, 2901 Marilyn Williams Dr. Saturday’s events feature track and field at Edmond North High School, 215 W. Danforth Road, followed by a goalball tournament and sitting volleyball on Central’s campus. The games conclude Sunday, June 11, with wheelchair softball at the Hamilton Field House parking lot and indoor archery and table tennis at the UCO Wellness Center, both located on Central’s campus. Competitions will be held at seven sites across UCO and Edmond. All events are free and open to the public.

Central is an official U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Training Site and is the host training site for the U.S. Men’s and Women’s Sitting Volleyball teams.

For more information about athlete and volunteer registration, or to view a complete schedule of events for the 2023 UCO Endeavor Games, visit http://www. endeavorgames.org/edmond.

For more information about UCO Endeavor Games, contact Pemberton at lpemberton@uco.edu or 405-9743160.