6-11-2026 4:33am

Over 50 Years

Jeff Barto Editor

2026 Summer Games

June 12 - June 14

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Venue

Towson University
8000 York Rd.
Towson, MD 21252 United States + Google Map

Schedule
Friday, June 12, 2026
Competition – Cheerleading, Swimming
Block Party & Young Athletes Celebration
Law Enforcement Torch Run & Opening Ceremony

Saturday, June 13, 2026
Competition – Athletics, Bocce, Softball*, Swimming
Athlete Social & Dance & Healthy Athletes
Healthy Athletes

Sunday, June 14, 2026
Competition – Athletics, Bocce, Softball*, Swimming
Closing Ceremony (at the competition venues)

Participants: 1250 Competitors (Athletes & Unified® Partners), 250 Coaches, 800 Volunteers

Events Offered:

Athletics – Traditional and Unified® track events & relays, mini-jav, high jump, long jump, pentathlon, shot put, softball throw, standing long jump, tennis ball throw (Towson University – Unitas Stadium)
Bocce – Singles, Doubles, Unified® Doubles, 4-Person Team (Towson University – Burdick Fields)
Cheerleading – Traditional and Unified® team competition (Towson University)
Softball – Traditional and Unified® team competition, Individual Skills Competition (*Off-Site Location – Kiwanis Wallas Park)
Swimming – Traditional individual events and team relays, Unified® team relays (Towson University – Burdick Hall)

Volunteers: Volunteers are recruited from the local community. Please visit www.somd.org to register as a volunteer.

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Merchandise
Visit our merchandise mobile at one of the scheduled locations at Towson University!

FRIDAY 6/12

Cheer 10:30-1:00 pm – Located outside the building’s front entrance

Block Party 5:00-7:00 pm – Located in the SECU parking lot

SATURDAY 6/13

Track & Field 8:00-11:00 am – Located on the press box side concourse entrance

Softball 9:00-11:00 am – Located off site at Kiwanis Wallas Park

Bocce 11:30-1:30 pm – Located between the field & awards building

Swimming 2:00-4:00 pm – Located outside the building’s front entrance

Olympic Park Dance 6:00-9:00 pm – Located inside the SECU

SUNDAY 6/14

Swimming 8:00-9:30 am – Located outside the building’s front entrance

Bocce 10:00-11:30 am – Located between the field and awards building

Track & Field 12:30-2:00 pm – Located on the press box side concourse entrance

Fact Sheet

Special Olympics Maryland Proud to Partner with Towson University

We are immensely grateful to Towson University for their amazing support and partnership. Towson has been the home of Special Olympics Maryland Summer Games since its inception in 1970. Throughout the years, Towson University has consistently provided a welcoming environment for our athletes, coaches, volunteers, and spectators.

Another Summer Games highlight resulting from our collaboration was the “Healthy Hearing” screenings led by Katherine Peitsch, Au.D., Assistant Clinical Professor of Audiology at Towson. Dr. Peitsch and her team of students provided screenings for over 100 athletes during the Games, which resulted in providing athletes with guidance on how to keep their ears clean. One athlete was even afforded a new hearing set which brought his mother to tears.

Towson University was also the first university in Maryland to introduce Unified Intramurals. In partnership with the Hussman Center and Special Olympics Maryland, Towson’s Intramural Sports offers Unified Sports, bringing together TU students and Special Olympics athletes to play on the same team in a variety of sports. This program, which started with bocce as a pilot two years ago, has now grown to include soccer, basketball, flag football, and bocce.

The partnership extends beyond events, with the TU Director of Athletics, Steve Eigenbrot, sitting on the SOMD Board of Directors, serving as a crucial liaison to the university. Towson’s Tennis, Swimming, and Basketball teams host clinics for our athletes, providing them with valuable training and interaction with collegiate athletes.

We are also fortunate and grateful to have the unwavering support of TU President, Dr. Mark Ginsberg, who is committed to including Special Olympics Maryland athletes in meaningful experiences on campus. Dr. Ginsberg spent over two hours at the Summer Games, watching our swimmers compete and touring our Healthy Athletes venues, demonstrating his dedication to our cause.

Towson’s ongoing support has not only helped us host successful Summer Games but also enriched the experiences of all of our athletes, unified teammates, families, coaches, and volunteers. The impact of their generosity and hospitality extends far beyond the playing fields, leaving a lasting impression on everyone involved. Thank you, Towson University, for your commitment to building interactive, inclusive communities of dignity and respect.